MTA Board Adopts Fare and Toll Increases to Take Effect January 2026

Adjustments to Fare Proposals Further Prioritize Affordability and Address Customer Feedback

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board today approved toll and fare increases, along with a series of fare and ticket policy changes designed to simplify the array of offerings to prioritize affordability on New York City Transit's subways and buses, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), and the Metro-North Railroad. Most of these changes will take effect in January 2026 to align with the full systemwide rollout of the tap-and-ride technology.

"Because the transit fare is a fraction of the cost of owning a car, New Yorkers spend less on transportation than people in the rest of the country, and we're determined to keep it that way," said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. "The modest fare increases approved today - which are below the rate of inflation - prioritize value for frequent riders and families while maintaining the MTA's bottom line."

If today's fare increase were adjusted to match the pace of inflation since the last increase in 2023, the base subway and bus fare would cost $3.14. While the cost of the fare remains below inflation and has remained so over the last few years, the MTA heard the concerns about citywide affordability during the public comment period. The recent adjustments to some of the proposals further prioritize affordability and value for customers. For information on these revisions, see here.

These modifications followed an extensive six-week public comment period - featuring three hybrid public hearings, 22 public comment sessions at remote locations across the system, online comment portal, and other channels provided. The MTA received a total of 1,378 of comments - four times greater than in 2023.

New York City Transit

The base fare for subways, local buses, and Access-A-Ride is increasing 10 cents, from $2.90 to $3. The reduced fare is increasing from $1.45 to $1.50, and the express bus base fare is increasing from $7 to $7.25. Below are the fare policy updates that will take effect next year:

• OMNY seven-day fare-capping becomes permanent. The 7-day rolling fare cap, which allows customers to pay for 12 rides in a 7-day period and automatically ride free for the rest of the week with no pre-payment required, is becoming permanent. At the adjusted and approved base fare, no customer will pay more than $35 for subway and local bus rides in a week; reduced-fare customers will pay no more than $17.50 in a week. The prepaid MetroCard 7-Day, 30-Day, and Express Bus Plus unlimited passes will retire and be replaced with the automatic fare cap for all riders.
• Fare-capping extended to express bus network. Express bus customers will pay no more than $67 a week for unlimited express bus, local bus, and subway rides in any 7-day period.
• Tap-and-ride will be required for fare payment on subway, local and express bus. Beginning later in 2026, coins will no longer be accepted on buses but will continue to be accepted at card vending machines in subway stations and at one of the 2,700 local businesses that sell OMNY cards.
• OMNY charge and trip history available on OMNY. info. Customers are now able to track their trips and associated charges on OMNY.info. The page shows tap-and-ride customers their fare progress to unlimited rides. By mid-2026, the MTA app will include all self-service tools available on OMNY.info.
• Promotional $1 OMNY card fee ends by mid-2026. The fee for a new OMNY card will be $2 when the MTA no longer accepts MetroCard for fare payments. This is still lower than the original $5 fee. OMNY cards are more durable and last for up to 5 years, more than twice as long as the MetroCard.

Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad

For the commuter railroads, an average increase of up to 4.5% will apply to monthlies, weeklies, and one-way peak tickets (excluding City Tickets). There will be no increase to Metro-North's Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines. To view the full Metro-North fare table, see here. To view the full LIRR fare table approved today, see here.

Given a 10% discount applied to monthly tickets in 2022 and suspension of the fare increase in 2021, the current cost of a monthly ticket is about the same price of a monthly ticket in 2019 when adjusted for inflation. Monthly ticket fares will not exceed $500.

Below is a recap of the upcoming ticketing policy changes for the commuter railroads:

• Universal reduced-fare ticket valid for travel at all times. There will be a universal reduced-fare ticket for seniors, people with disabilities, and people on Medicare that will be valid 24/7, including on morning peak trips.
• More affordable trips for families. The eligibility age for a Family Fare ticket will be raised from 11 to 17 years old. Children aged 5-17 will be able ride for $1 when accompanied by a fare-paying adult, including during the morning rush hour.
• One-way tickets will be valid until 4:00 a.m. the next day. All one-way tickets, both paper and mobile, will expire at 4:00 a.m. the day after purchase. Current one-way tickets are valid for 60 days. The new validity period allows riders to plan ahead and purchase tickets before upcoming trips, while limiting the opportunity to reuse an un-scanned ticket for a later trip. Customers still need to activate tickets before boarding.
• New unlimited Day Pass. A Day Pass will be available to purchase for unlimited daily travel, replacing the round-trip ticket, and will be valid until 4:00 a.m. the next day. On weekdays, the Day Pass would cost 10% less than two one-way peak tickets; on weekends, it would cost the same as two one-way off-peak tickets.
• "Pay-as-you-go" mobile discount replaces 10-trip ticket. A new "pay-as-you-go" discount will be available for mobile customers. After 10 peak or off-peak trips in 14 days, mobile customers would get an 11th peak or off-peak one-way trip for free in the same 14-day period. Unlike today's 10-Trip, which will be discontinued, this new fare product does not require customers to pre-pay upfront to receive a discount.
• Onboard surcharges for late mobile ticket purchases and activations. Customers who repeatedly purchase or activate mobile tickets on board would be subject to an onboard surcharge after an escalating series of warnings. This change is aimed at speeding up fare collection by encouraging customers to have their tickets activated and ready for inspection.

Bridges and Tunnels

One-way passenger-vehicle toll rates will increase between 20 cents to 60 cents at all bridge and tunnel facilities. This includes E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail. The existing toll discount programs for Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island drivers will remain in effect.

For more details on fare and toll changes, visit this webpage. These changes are pursuant to the 2025 Budget approved by the MTA Board in December 2024. Updates are designed to simplify the fare structure and allow customers to automatically receive the best possible value. They accompany modest proposed fare and toll rate increases to keep pace with inflation, as they have every other year since 2009.