The MTA Fare Increase You’ll Be Faced With in 2015

Back in the spring, we wrote about the predictions made about MTA fare increases in 2015:

Single ride would go from $2.50 to $2.60
Weekly unlimited pass would rise from $30 to $31.20
30-day unlimited pass would jump from $112 to $116.50

Looks like the predicted ~4% increase is happening, and we first caught wind of it via Gothamist. Straphangers Campaign’s chief spokesperson Gene Russianoff calls the fare increases “modest,” though he also says, “New York’s subway and bus riders have suffered four fare increases in seven years. So we share the riding public’s anger at what feels like a constant cycle of rising costs.” Gothamist also reports, “Governor Cuomo also ‘diverted’ $30 million from the MTA to supplement the state budget this year, and expects to steal $20 million more every year.” That bites.

Anyway, here’s what we can expect in fare increases, as per the MTA:

Two alternative fare structures are being considered that treat the base fare and bonus structure differently. The single-ride fare must increase in 25-cent increments, which limits the alternatives available and may lead to proposed increases that are lower or higher than 4%. Changes to 7-Day and 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCards are the same in both proposals.

• In Proposal 1, the base fare increases by 25¢, and the bonus amount is increased from 5% to 11% when putting $5.50 or more on a MetroCard.
• In Proposal 2, the base fare for cash, Single Ride Tickets, and Pay-Per-Ride MetroCards remains unchanged at $2.50, but the bonus for putting $5 or more on a MetroCard is eliminated.
• In both proposals, the cost of a 30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard increases to $116.50 and the cost of a 7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard increases to $31.

Here’s a nice table the MTA put together with proposals 1 and 2 indicated:

Look for new fares in March 2015. If you want to comment on these proposed fare increases, head to one of the public hearings. Here are three options, in Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn:

Monday, December 1, 2014
Manhattan – Baruch College, Baruch Performing Arts Center, Mason Hall, 17 Lexington Ave. at 23rd Street, New York, NY. Registration period is open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Hearing begins at 5 p.m.

Wednesday, December 3, 3014
Queens – The Milton G. Bassin Performing Arts Center at York College, Main Stage Theater, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd, Jamaica, NY. Registration period is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Hearing begins at 6 p.m.

Thursday, December 11, 2014
Brooklyn – Walt Whitman Theater at Brooklyn College, 2900 Campus Road (near the junction of Nostrand Avenue and Avenue H), Brooklyn, NY. Registration period is open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Hearing begins at 6 p.m.

So how about you? Do these fare increases sound reasonable? Is it still a good deal? We sure hope they get their act together and fix the problems that have plagued the N/Q line this summer.

MTA’s Fare Hike Plans REVEALED [Gothamist]
Fare & Toll Changes [MTA]

One Comment

sd5289 November 19th, 2014

Um, given the fact that any given major line seems to be down or “running with delays” almost every other day, no, it doesn’t seem reasonable. The trains have been running horribly for the past few months at least, and seem to be getting worse and worse. It seems like every other week there’s some catastrophic event at 59th & Lex, Qboro, etc., that virtually shuts off access between Manhattan and Queens during the evening rush hour.

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