Photo Courtesy of Marc Hermann/MTA
MTA Acting Chair and CEO Janno Lieber and Gov. Kathy Hochul
By Michael V. Cusenza
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority recently announced a pilot program to test a series of temporary promotional changes to fare structures for New York City Transit, the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad.
The pilot will begin March 1 and last for at least four months.
Fare Capping Pilot for New York City Transit – a Weekly Cap on Charges
Under the pilot, the MTA would use the enhanced flexibility provided by OMNY to offer subway and local bus customers, along with those of the Staten Island Railway, the best possible fare for all trips. Under this pilot, customers who tap and go with OMNY would be charged the standard $2.75 pay-per-ride fare for their first 12 trips starting every Monday. Any further trips through the following Sunday would be free of charge. As a result, no OMNY customer would pay more than $33.00 per week, which is the current price of a seven-day unlimited-ride MetroCard, and customers would receive the benefit of a seven-day unlimited-ride card without paying upfront.
“Our fare structure is an important tool we have to win back riders,” said Janno Lieber, MTA Acting Chair and CEO. “Business logic says it doesn’t make sense to increase the price just as you’re trying to rebuild your customer base. So, we’re leaving the basic fare alone for now and rolling out a slate of new pilot fare promotions.”
The MTA is retaining free transfers between subways and buses for all customers. Two-part trips that are linked by a free transfer between a subway and bus are considered a single trip toward the 12 needed to reach the fare-free threshold each week.
Three Big Fare Changes for the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad
For Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad customers, the pilot will offer promotional fares designed to encourage railroad ridership, especially for trips within New York City, and to provide ticketing options more closely aligned with the evolving needs of those with flexible work schedules. The MTA will offer three major changes to railroads fares.
- When purchased through eTix, a new 20-trip ticket, which will offer 20% off the comparable 20 peak one-way fares.
- Monthly tickets, which are currently discounted between 48% and 61% of the price of a comparable number of one-way peak tickets, will be discounted by an additional 10%.
- ‘City Ticket’ – which offers a reduced, flat fare for travel within New York City on weekends – will be extended to all weekday off-peak trains at a fare of $5.This is a $2.25 or 31% discount from Metro-North’s current weekday fare between the Bronx and Manhattan, which is $7.25. (City Ticket must be purchased and activated before boarding the train. Metro-North’s off-peak fare between the Bronx and Manhattan remains $13 when purchased on board the train.)This is a $2.75 or 35% discount from the LIRR’s current weekday fare between eastern Queens and Manhattan or Brooklyn, which is $7.75. (City Ticket must be purchased and activated before boarding the train. The LIRR’s off-peak fare between eastern Queens and Manhattan or Brooklyn remains $14 when purchased on board the train.)
