Traveling in and around New York City will cost more starting Sunday, March 22, when the latest MTA price increase goes into effect. You’ll pay $2.75 for a single subway or bus ride, up 25 cents from the current $2.50. The unlimited-ride monthly MetroCard increases to $116.50, up $4.50. The half-price cost-per-ride for seniors and other eligible New Yorkers goes up from $1.25 to $1.40.
There’s also a price increase for the nation’s two busiest commuter railroads, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Rail Road. Commuters will see fares go up around four percent.
And drivers won’t escape, either, since the cost of bridge and tunnel tolls also is going up, including $16 for the Verrazano-Narrows.
The only good news is that the bonus for pay-per-ride MetroCards will increase to 11 percent from 5 percent with a $5.50 purchase – that’s a round trip or two one-way fares.
Click here for the MTA page with fare increases.
According to Bloomberg News, the price increases are to cover a $15 Billion hole in the MTA budget, which may require yet another fare increase in 2017.
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.