The bus and subway fare of $2.75 will not change, following the MTA Board’s vote this week, but the 5% bonus for putting two or more rides on a MetroCard is no more.
As a result, the cost of an unlimited seven-day pass will go up by one dollar, to $33, and the 30-day pass will increase by $6 to $127.
The E-Z pass bridge and tunnel tolls will rise by 4%, more for drivers without the pass. To illustrate: at the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge, the basic non-e-z pass toll, which is charged only in Staten Island-bound traffic, will go up from $17 to $19.
The toll increase goes into effect on March 31, the subway and bus hike starts April 21. We suggest you buy a bunch of MetroCards in time to still benefit from the bonus.
According to the MTA, these increases will bring in $330 million a year, which would still not cover its projected operating annual deficit of about $500 million.
Also, the new income will still not pay for new trains and other capital projects. Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio propose paying up those costs by charging drivers who enter Manhattan below 61st Street.
Which means we can’t really advise our readers in the outer boroughs to use the train instead of their cars, because that would defeat the purpose…
MTA board member Andrew Saul, who is a general partner at Saul Partners, L.P, voted against the increases, and told NY1: “We have huge overruns on capital construction, we have huge overruns on overtime, and you go down the list, this place is not managed efficiently and the riders are getting [expletive].”