MTA subway, bus, toll hike gets approval
NEW YORK - On Wednesday, the MTA voted to increase fares for subways, buses, trains, bridges and tunnels.
The base fare for subway and buses will rise from $2.75 to $2.90. A 7-day unlimited MetroCard goes up a $1 to $34 and a 30-day unlimited increases to $132.
Metro North and LIRR will see their monthly and weekly tickets go up by 4.5%
As for bridges and tunnels, tolls will increase by 6% for E-ZPass users and 10% for drivers who pay by mail.
Wednesday's board meeting began with a rowdy public comment section with straphangers pleading for no increases at all.
The MTA hasn't raised base fares for subways and buses since 2015. Prior to that, modest fare hikes took place every two years.
The agency says these increases will generate more than $300 million in revenue and along with cash from the state will help balance its budget for the next five years.
MTA takes action against 'back-cocking' fare evasion
According to MTA officials, 'back-cocking' is cost the agency $46M in lost revenue last year.
That said, we asked what assurance the agency can give commuters that the agency won't be back where it started then if not before.
Janno Lieber, chairman and CEO of the MTA, replied, "We are not counting on getting every rider back who was pre-pandemic. We have an aggressive plan to combat fare evasion which has cost the MTA money. All those things put together ought to give people confidence this is well-managed and the budget balance is real."
The increases go into effect by the end of August.