Changes to MTA fares and tolls in 2023 (2024)

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On August 20, fare increases went into effect across MTA subways, buses, and commuter railroads. Toll increases on bridges and tunnels went into effect on August 6.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, we agreed to implement fare increases every two years. Thanks to funding from Gov. Kathy Hochul, we were able to put off the 2021 scheduled fare increase.

Now, with ridership growing, we're returning to the regular fare increases that allow us to maintain current service levels and even increase service frequency.

With additional funding from New York State, we are able to keep the fare increase to 4%, rather than 5.5%. The MTA is always working to cut costs to reduce operating expenses and keep fares affordable for customers.

Changes to New York City Transit fares

  • The base fare for subway, local buses and paratransit increased 15 cents, from $2.75 to $2.90.
  • The 7-Day Unlimited Ride pass increased from $33 to $34, and the 30-Day Unlimited Ride pass increased from $127 to $132.
    • If you purchased a 7-Day or 30-Day Unlimited Ride pass at the current fare, you had to begin using it by August 27 to get the full days of unlimited rides. If you began your pass after August 27, you will need to request a pro-rated refund for the remaining days after September 2 for a 7-Day passor September 25 for a 30-Day pass. Unused passes will be refunded at the full purchase price.
    • To request a refund, you must submit the MetroCard in question to MTA New York City Transit by using either a prepaid business reply envelope, available upon request at any subway station, or mailing the card with a completed claim form to MetroCard Customer Claims, 130 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201-9625.
  • The reduced fare for eligible customersremains half of the base fare. It increased from $1.35 to$1.45.
  • The Express Bus base fare increased from $6.75 to $7, and the 7-Day Unlimited Express Bus Plus pass increased from $62 to $64.
    • Since Express Buses travel longer distances than local buses and use highways, New York City Transit provides coach buses and charges a higher fare than on local buses.

Download detailed NYCT fare information

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Changes to LIRR and Metro-North fares

  • Monthly and Weekly tickets increased by up to 4.5% across both railroads.
    • Thanks to the additional 10% discount implemented in March 2022, monthlyfares remain lower than they were pre-COVID.
    • Recognizing the high fares in the farthest railroad zones, Monthly ticket fares do not exceed $500.
    • Monthly tickets at the new fare went on sale on August 25 for September. Weekly tickets at the new fare went on sale on August 23 for the week of August 26-September 1.
  • The discount for traveling off-peak has beenstandardized to 26% across both railroads. (Until now, Metro-North’s discount was 25% and LIRR’s 27.5%.)
    • This leads to slightly higher increases of 6-7% on LIRR Off-Peak tickets and slightly lower increases of 2-3% on Metro-North Off-Peak tickets.
  • There is no fare increase for any ticket type on the Metro-North Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines.
  • All other ticket types increased by as much as 10%; however, any increase greater than 6% has been held to a maximum increase of $0.50 per trip.
  • LIRR and Metro-North continue to offer UniTicket fares to travel on both commuter rail and connecting bus and ferry services. Changes in those fares are based in part on changes to weekly and monthly transit fares. One-way tickets for MTA-managed connecting services have also changed.
  • Policies regarding the calculation of onboard fares and refunds remain unchanged.
  • All tickets purchased at the old fare will continue to be valid through their stated expiration dates.

LIRR and Metro-North fare tables

Long Island Rail Road fares
Metro-North Harlem and Hudson Line fares to GCT
Metro-North New Haven Line fares to GCT
Metro-North Harlem and Hudson intermediate fares
Metro-North New Haven Line intermediate fares

Changes to NYCT, LIRR, and Metro-North fare pilots

The MTA has implemented new fare pilots and modified a handful of existing pilots that make taking mass transit more affordable and more flexible.

A more flexible fare capping pilot with OMNY

OMNY customers continue to get the best weekly fare. Your first tap starts a new 7-day cap. If you spend $34 (or $17 for Reduced-Fare customers) within a seven-day period, you ride free for the rest of that week. If you spend less, you only pay for the rides you take. The cap resets every seven days. Group trips, express bus taps, and transfers do not count toward the weekly cap.

More CityTicket pilot options

CityTicket continues to offer customers a $5 flat-fare ticket to travel within New York City limits during all off-peak hours. MTA has also introduced a Peak CityTicket for travel during weekday peak hours for $7.

MTA has also introduced a special ticket for customers traveling to Far Rockaway on the LIRR at the same price as the typical CityTicket.

Atlantic Ticket and 20-Trip Peak ticket pilots discontinued

As the MTA adopts new CityTicket pilots, and in the interest of standardizing and simplifying commuter railroad fares, both the $5 One-Way Atlantic Ticket and $60 Weekly Atlantic Ticket have been discontinued.

The 20-Trip Peak ticket, introduced in 2022 to encourage infrequent customers to commute more regularly, has been discontinued as post-COVID travel patterns continue to return to normal.

Changes to tolls

  • The MTA has increased toll rates 6% for customers using an E-ZPass issued by the New York Customer Service Center, which serves MTA Bridges and Tunnels, the New York State Thruway Authority, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
  • Toll rates have increased 10% for customers paying with an out-of-state E-ZPass or who choose to be tolled by mail.

See Bridges and Tunnels tolls.

  • The existing toll discount programs for Rockaways/Broad Channel and Staten Island residents using the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge and Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, respectively, remain in effect.

Read more about changes to Bridges and Tunnels tolls.

Changes to MTA fares and tolls in 2023 (2024)

FAQs

How much is the MTA fare in 2023? ›

Changes to New York City Transit fares

The base fare for subway, local buses and paratransit increased 15 cents, from $2.75 to $2.90. The 7-Day Unlimited Ride pass increased from $33 to $34, and the 30-Day Unlimited Ride pass increased from $127 to $132.

How much is the NYC subway fare for seniors? ›

Reduced-fare MetroCards and One Metro New York (OMNY) are available for riders who are 65 or older or riders who have qualifying disabilities. The reduced fare is half the base fare. (For example, the base fare for subways and local buses is $2.90, so the reduced fare is $1.45.)

How much is the MTA now in NYC? ›

The subway operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Riding the subway is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to get around the city. For most riders, the subway fare is $2.90. Reduced fares are available for people 65 and older, people with disabilities, and low-income New Yorkers.

How much is the unlimited MetroCard in NYC? ›

Learn more. Cost: $34 (7-day) or $132 (30-day). You have unlimited swipes on the subway and local buses for either 7 or 30 days. Your MetroCard can only hold one Unlimited Ride refill at a time.

Did the MTA fare go up? ›

The new fares, which are designed to yield a 4% fare revenue increase, were approved by the MTA Board during its July meeting. The base fare for subways, local buses, the Staten Island Railway and Paratransit will rise to $2.90, up from the current fare of $2.75.

Why is the MTA fare going up? ›

The MTA said ridership is growing and the fare increases are needed to maintain current service levels and even increase service frequency. Tolls hikes at MTA bridges and tunnels also went into effect this month.

How do you get a senior discount on NYC subways? ›

Option 2: Apply by mail
  1. Download and complete an application. For people 65 and older. ...
  2. Include a passport-style photo. It should be 2 inches by 1.5 inches.
  3. Include a copy of a valid ID as proof of age. ...
  4. For riders with disabilities, include proof of a qualifying disability. ...
  5. Mail your application and documents to us.

What age is senior discount at NYC MTA? ›

Reduced fares are available for riders who are 65 or older or riders who have qualifying disabilities.

What age is senior discount in NYC? ›

To qualify for reduced fare one must be 65 or older. People with disabilities qualify for reduced fare at any age. For Subways: Purchase Reduced Fare and show your Medicare card or use Reduced Fare Metrocard. For Buses: Pay the reduced fare and show your Medicare card or use Reduced Fare Metrocard.

Is OMNY cheaper than MetroCard? ›

In fact, 83% of the time, OMNY is cheaper than a 30-day MetroCard if I average 10 rides a week. Let's see if we can generalize this to other weekly averages: As you can see, up until I average 12 rides a week, OMNY is usually better. More often than not, I'll save money if I stick with it and skip the Unlimited card.

What age is free on the NYC subway? ›

Up to three children under 44 inches tall ride for free when they're with a fare-paying adult. You pay the fare at turnstiles before you board the train. You don't have to do anything as you exit.

How much is the MTA subway train fare? ›

The new base fare of $2.90, expected to take effect Aug. 20, will be 15 cents higher than the current $2.75. The subway fare was a nickel from 1904 until 1948, when it doubled to a dime. The MTA can't attribute the increase over the last 75 years to inflation.

What does OMNY stand for? ›

What does “OMNY” mean? OMNY, which stands for One Metro New York, is based on the concept of unifying fare payments and ticketing across multiple modes of transportation. We believe that transportation is an essential service that connects communities and brings the diversity and energy of New York together.

Can I buy a MetroCard at LaGuardia? ›

You can also purchase a MetroCard at vending machines located throughout LaGuardia Airport terminals. Then use the MetroCard to get a bus ticket from the curbside ticket machines. Use the same MetroCard for a free transfer between bus and subway within two hours.

Can you share a MetroCard NYC? ›

Up to four people can ride together on a single Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard. If multiple people are riding together on the same MetroCard the first person can swipe the card through the necessary number of times and other riders can walk through the turnstile following them.

When was the last MTA fare increase? ›

When the base fare was raised to $2.90 on August 21, 2023, the 7-day cap was modified to apply to any consecutive seven-day period. In addition, the fare cap was raised to $34, so riders paid $2.90 for their first 11 trips and $2.10 for their 12th trip.

How much of MTA budget comes from fares? ›

Today, fare revenue makes up only 24.5% of the MTA's $15.7 billion in revenue, excluding MTA Bridges and Tunnels. The MTA projected in July that fare revenue will be the largest source of growth among all revenue sources and will rebound to make up 32.2% of total revenue by 2026.

How much does a NYC MTA bus cost to buy? ›

On average, a standard 40-foot transit bus can cost between $300,000 to $600,000. However, specialized buses or electric buses can be more expensive, ranging from $500,000 to $1 million or more.

Is MTA expected to hike NYC subway bus fares to $2.90 before Labor Day? ›

New York's transit board approved a hike in subway and bus base fares for the first time since 2015 with an increase from $2.75 to $2.90, kicking off before Labor Day.

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