(New York, July 31, 2025) The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) of New York City has announced that the planned fare hikes for subways, commuter railroads, and bridge and tunnel tolls, originally scheduled to begin in August of this year, will be postponed until January 4 next year. The details of this decision will be disclosed at the board meeting on Wednesday, July 30.
The board’s vote will allow MTA to commence a public hearing process, giving passengers the opportunity to voice their concerns, with the final vote expected later this year. Currently, bus, train, and subway operators are phasing out the long-used MetroCard in favor of the contactless payment system called OMNY. However, many passengers have recently reported being overcharged when using the OMNY system with their phones, credit cards, or OMNY cards at the turnstiles.
MTA’s Chief Financial Officer, Jai Patel, stated that the fare adjustment aims to help MTA cover the increasing operational costs and aligns with the organization’s strategy of implementing smaller price changes every two years rather than significant fare hikes. Patel explained, “Expenses grow with inflation, and so do our revenues,” highlighting that raising fares and tolls is a financially prudent move to prevent massive deficits.
MTA officials plan to raise fares and tolls in 2025 and 2027 to generate a 4% revenue increase but have not disclosed the specifics of the proposed hikes yet. It is suggested that the base transportation fare (single ride fare for NYC subway and buses) will rise by 10 cents to $3, with the cost for unlimited rides on the subway and local buses within a seven-day period capped at $36. Commuter rail monthly and weekly passes will see a 4.4% increase, and bridge and tunnel tolls will go up by 7.5%.
Commuter rail passengers can expect some changes as MTA intends to introduce same-day, valid-for-day tickets in place of round-trip tickets, valid until 4 a.m. the following day. These tickets will be active for four hours post-purchase with paper tickets expiring after this timeframe.
MTA stands as the largest transportation authority in the United States, serving approximately six million riders on a typical day, connecting residents and visitors to work, school, appointments, and entertainment venues.
(Adapted from a report by Bloomberg News)