NEW YORK—The pending fare hikes for subways, buses, and commuter rail in the New York City region have been narrowed down by the head of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Joseph Lhota, chairman and CEO of the MTA, sent a memo on Dec. 13 to other board members recommending that single trip base fares rise from $2.25 to $2.50. Monthly passes would also increase from $104 to $112 and the weekly pass from $29 to $30.
He also advocates finalizing a $1 fee for new MetroCards and lowering the bonus “threshold” (how much one buys in fares before they receive a percentage discount) from $10 to $5 to address affordability concerns for the economically disadvantage. The percentage decrease, however, should be reduced from 7 percent to 5 percent, Lhota proposed.
Adding $5 to the weekly express bus pass (to $55) and $1.00 to the cash toll for the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge are two of his other recommendations.
The board will vote on the fare increases Dec. 19.
