The MTA fare and toll increases will take effect on March 22.
Photo Courtesy of Patrick Cashin/MTA
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board last Thursday voted to increase fares and tolls by 4 percent over the next two years, with the hike scheduled to take effect on March 22.
The board approved increasing the base fare for the subway and bus by 25 cents to $2.75, while also more than doubling the bonus amount added to MetroCard purchases of at least one roundtrip. The combination of the increased fare and the increased bonus, an MTA spokesman said, creates an effective fare increase of 4.1 percent—10 cents—for the Bonus MetroCard, which according to the agency is used for 43 percent of trips.
The 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard, which is used for 29 percent of trips, will increase 4 percent to $116.50. The 7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard, which is used for 21 percent of the time, will increase 3.3 percent to $31.
Tolls will rise 4 percent on MTA Bridges and Tunnels for over 75 percent of crossings that are made by cars and trucks using an E-ZPass. Those car tolls will increase 21 cents to $5.54 at major crossings like the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge and the Queens Midtown Tunnel. Non-E-ZPass customers will see increases of 6.7 percent to 10 percent.
It has been MTA policy to increase the price differential between cash and E-ZPass to encourage E-ZPass use, which reduces wait times and environmental impact, the spokesman said.
E-ZPass customers will receive discounts off the cash price ranging from 31 percent to 66 percent, depending on the crossing, type of vehicle and applicable resident-discount programs. These discounts are available to customers who use E-ZPasses issued by the New York Customer Service Center, which serves the MTA, the New York State Thruway Authority and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Any driver can apply for an NYCSC E-ZPass regardless of where they live. MTA Bridges and Tunnels also offers substantial discounts to residents of Staten Island and the Rockaways.
Additionally, the MTA announced last week that it has cut $1.1 billion from its annual spending, with more cuts planned every year to bring annual savings to $1.6 billion by 2018.
“The MTA has been able to limit these fare and toll increases to the equivalent of 2 percent a year thanks to our continued aggressive cost-cutting, while still adding service and improving service quality for our growing number of customers,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Tom Prendergast. “Our Financial Plan assumes modest biennial fare and toll increases, and the board has chosen options with lower increases for our most frequent customers.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
