The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) officials announced on Wednesday, July 30th that the fare hikes for New York City’s subway, buses, commuter railroads, bridges, and tunnels will be postponed until January 4, 2026. The base fare for a single ride on the subway/bus will increase from the current $2.90 to $3. Approval from all members of the MTA Board of Directors is still required for this fare hike policy.
In order to fully adopt the contactless payment system “OMNY,” the existing 30-day unlimited ride card will be discontinued, with only the “automatic unlimited ride” mechanism with a $36 spending cap within 7 days being retained. As long as passengers use the same smartphone or credit card for payment, when their cumulative spending reaches $36 within 7 days, they can enjoy the rest of the week’s rides for free.
For Express Bus passengers, MTA will also introduce a similar new scheme where after spending $67 within a week, the remaining rides for that week will be free.
MTA plans to raise other transportation fares and tolls starting in 2026. Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road ticket prices will increase by 4.4%. The existing round-trip tickets will be replaced by “same-day passes,” valid only within four hours of activation. This change applies to both paper and mobile tickets.
Tolls for bridges and tunnels will increase by 7.5%. For example, drivers using E-ZPass will pay an additional $0.52 when passing through key traffic arteries such as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, Verrazzano Bridge, and Queens-Midtown Tunnel. The fees for the Henry Hudson Bridge and Cross Bay Bridge will also increase by $0.20 to $0.24.
However, congestion pricing in Manhattan will remain unchanged.
The MTA Board of Directors will hold public hearings this fall to gather feedback from the public before making a final decision. If approved, the new fares and measures will officially take effect on January 4, 2026.