MTA board approves proposed subway and bus fare hikes for commuters
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The MTA board approved a new round of fare hikes on Tuesday. Beginning next year, subway and bus fares will increase 10 cents from $2.90 to $3.
The change is expected to take effect in January 4, 2026.
The subway and bus fares last went up in 2023, when it rose from $2.75 to the current fare of $2.90. Fares normally increase every two years, usually in August.
This increase is being delayed six months to coincide with the transition to the new OMNY tap-and-pay system.
The seven-day unlimited subway and bus ride prices will increase from $34 to $35, but that is down $1 from the initial planned increase to $36.
Express bus fares are also going up from $7 to $7.25 and buses will no longer accept cash or coins -- riders must use OMNY.
There will also be a 4.4% increase on LIRR and Metro-North tickets.
The board also voted to expand the age of children eligible for the MTA's "family ticket" on the LIRR and Metro-North to children under the age of 18. Currently, the family ticket allows up to four children under the age of 12 to ride for $1 each, so long as they are riding with a fare-paying adult.
In another change, all one-way mobile and paper commuter rail tickets for LIRR and Metro-North will expire at 4 a.m. the following day. This revision replaces the original proposal from July, which included a four-hour validity window on the tickets.
With a full transition to OMNY, the MTA announced it would also eliminate the 30-day unlimited fare option, making the seven-day fare cap the only way to get unlimited rides.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the fare increases are justified.
"A little perspective, over the last 10 years, MTA fare increases have dramatically lagged inflation and they are even less than our wage increases by a lot," Lieber said.
The MTA plans to sell its final MetroCard on Dec. 31, but riders will be able to use them after that, while encouraging riders to transition to OMNY.
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