Hey Prospect Heighters: when you're heading to the Q or 2/3 train on Sunday, remember that your ride will cost an extra 25 cents.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's hikes for subways, buses, tolls and commuter railroads take affect this weekend, with higher fares for subways, buses, bridge and tunnel tolls and Access-a-Ride going into effect on Sunday, March 3 and MetroNorth and the LIRR hikes happening even sooner, on Friday, March 1.
The base fare for subways and buses will go up from $2.25 to $2.50, while the cost for express bus rides will increase from $5.50 to $6.
The 30-day unlimited MetroCard will increase in cost from $104 to $112, while the seven-day unlimited MetroCard will go up from $29 to $30. Additionally, seven-day Express Bus Plus MetroCards will rise in cost from $50 to $55.
If you want to get a 30-day card at the old price, note that unlimited-ride MetroCards bought on March 2 or earlier must be activated by Monday, March 11, to obtain full value. Those activated after that date will allow travel through April 9 for 30-day cards and March 17 for 7-day cards. Any remaining time will be refunded on a pro-rated basis.
Also new is a $1 fee for each new MetroCard you buy, so the MTA suggests you refill your current card as long as you can. If the card is damaged you can turn it in for a new card at no charge. You can also avoid the fee by buying the cards at out-of-system merchants or by participating in the EasyPayXpress program or a pre-tax benefit program.
Tolls on most of the city’s bridges and tunnels will go up from $4.80 to $5.33 for E-Z Pass customers and from $6.50 to $7.50 for those paying in cash.
Fares for the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North will go up on March 1 for monthly, one-way round trip and 10-trip ticket holders, while fees for commuters using weekly tickets will increase on March 2.
Commuter rail fares will increase from 8.2 percent to 9.3 percent, depending on the distance traveled.
The MTA’s board voted on Dec. 19 in favor of increasing fares, citing ongoing budget issues, rising pension costs and unexpected overruns resulting from Hurricane Sandy.
For more information on the fare increases, visit the MTA's website.
