The Metropolitan Transportation Authority board unanimously approved fare and toll increases that will take effect Jan. 1, raising costs for Long Island Rail Road riders and motorists using the area’s bridges and tunnels.
The vote came during the agency’s Sept. 30 meeting in Brooklyn following a public comment session.
The proposal, released July 30, marks the first round of increases since 2023, when both fares and tolls rose by more than 4 percent. Officials said the changes are needed to maintain service levels and support a transit system still recovering from the financial strain of the pandemic.
For LIRR riders, monthly and weekly ticket prices will rise by an average of 4.4 percent, excluding city zones. Even with the increase, the MTA said the cost of a monthly ticket will remain under $500, still lower than pre-pandemic levels.
Outside the Baldwin LIRR station last week, riders shared mixed reactions to the increase to the Herald.
Kevin Greene, who rides the train several times a week, said he viewed the fare hike as a necessary compromise. “I’d rather pay a few extra dollars and know the trains will run on time,” Greene said. “If the money helps maintain the system and avoid cuts, then it’s worth it.”
The MTA had considered shortening the validity of one-way tickets to four hours after purchase, but after hearing customer feedback, tickets will instead remain valid until 4 a.m. the following day. Riders must activate tickets before boarding, and those purchased on board will carry an additional $2 surcharge.
Discounts will expand as well. The MTA will reduce ticket prices for seniors, people with disabilities and Medicare recipients, regardless of travel time. Children ages 5-17 may ride for $1 when accompanied by a fare-paying adult, including during the morning peak.
A new day pass will replace the round-trip ticket and will also be valid until 4 a.m. the next day. On weekdays, the pass will cost 10 percent less than two one-way peak tickets; on weekends, it will cost the same as two one-way off-peak tickets.
The 10-trip ticket will be discontinued in favor of a “pay-as-you-go” mobile discount. After 10 peak or off-peak trips within 14 days, customers using mobile tickets will receive an 11th one-way trip free in the same period. Unlike the current plan, the new option does not require riders to pre-pay for discounts.
“Transit is one of the few things that makes New York affordable,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber. “And I respect those who oppose the fare increase. But we’re talking about something that is 15 percent of the cost of owning an automobile. In New York, I think the gap between transit and auto ownership is even larger, and because of that, New Yorkers spend a lot less of their household income on transportation than people in the rest of the country. We are determined to keep it that way while also making sure we can fund our operation.”
Tolls at the RFK, Whitestone, Throgs Neck and Verrazzano Bridges, as well as the Queens-Midtown and Hugh L. Carey Tunnels, will rise 52 cents to $7.46 with E-ZPass. The Cross Bay and Marine Parkway Bridges will go up 20 cents to $2.80.
Board member Melva Miller voted for the increases but said she struggled with the decision.
“On one hand, I know our operating budget depends on these revenues, and as a board member, I recognize the importance of this and that approving this increase is the fiscally responsible thing to do and, ultimately, necessary to ensure the long-term health of the MTA,” she said. “But I also know firsthand that I’ve lived the realities of people who ride our system every single day and haven’t always had financial security, myself included, sometimes as I was only a few paychecks away from real vulnerability.”
