The MTA is considering fare hike options that could see the price of a ride and the 30-day MetroCard increase, according to sources.
A subway or bus ride next year could go up 25 cents to $2.75, from $2.50; a 30-day MetroCard could cost $116.50 from $112; and the week-long pass could rise to $31, from $30, sources said.
With a base fare increase, straphangers who use a pay-per-ride MetroCard could get a bigger bonus; if the fare stays flat, the bonus could be reduced, , sources said. One source noted that the proposed increases to the unlimited passes are not set and could change. An MTA spokesman declined to confirm the details.
“The MTA has been clear that it will keep future fare and toll increases to the rate of inflation, but our proposals are not final,” the MTA said in a statement.
Riders griped that they have been asked to pay nmore over the years as trains pile up the delays.
“If it means there will be more trains available and less train traffic, I am all for it,” Denisse Cortez, 27, said.
Anthony Izaguirre, 22, said he bikes to save money, but relies on the subways when the weather is cold.
“When the temperatures drop, I’ll be forced to buy a monthly MetroCard. I’ll just have to safe up first,” he said.
For the 2015 fare hike, the MTA is scheduling public hearings to present its options that will be held over the coming weeks. The MTA has budgeted for 4% increases in fares and tolls every two years, meaning riders again will see transit get more expensive in 2017. The last hike to hit riders was 2013.
“It’s no surprise that it is coming, but there are a variety of ways in which one can raise the same amount of revenue and we should provide this opportunity to our stakeholders [to determine] which one they would prefer,” MTA board member Mitch Pally said.
Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign said he would prefer the fare hike option that comes with a better bonus for money put on a MetroCard. He said the bonus helps low-income and wealthy riders alike.
“It rewards both,” Russianoff said. “If they can get $5 together, they’re not paying $2.75 a ride.”
Andrew Albert, an MTA board member, said the MTA should consider options with the frequent riders in mind.
“The frequent rider is the bread and butter of the MTA,” he said. “The monthlies, the weeklies, the people who buy the bonus cards.”
With Lorena Ramirez
