Proposed Fare Hike Details: Unlimited Monthly Goes from $76 to $81, Pay-Per-Ride Discount Decreases

The MTA has released details for its subway and bus fare hike. While the base fare will still stay at $2, there will be increases for unlimited cards - plus a new two-week unlimited:

1-Day Fun Pass: Increases from $7 to $7.50
7-Day Pass: Increases from $24 to $25*
New 14-Day Pass: $47* (*Current 7-Day Pass users who switch to the new 14-Day Pass will actually enjoy a fare reduction.)
30-Day Pass: Increases from $76 to $81
Express Bus Base Fare: Remains $5
Express Bus 7-Day Pass: Remains $41

The monthly unlimited card increase works out to 6.6%, while the weekly unlimited increase is 4.2% higher than before.

The most confusing this is that the pay-per-ride bonus will decrease from 20% (if you bought a $10 card, you'd get a free $2 ride) to 15%, and the minimum cost for a pay-per-ride card will be $7. Which, means, per the NY Times:

That means that when someone puts $7 on a pay-per-ride MetroCard, the card would show an additional 15 percent, or $1.05, for a total of $8.05.

As a result, many riders’ MetroCards would show uneven amounts as they gradually accrue enough bonus money for an additional fare. The current 20 percent bonus allows for simpler math, with straphangers who buy pay-per-ride MetroCards receiving an additional ride for every five rides they buy. Under the 15 percent bonus system, a rider would have to buy seven rides before earning a full additional ride.

Hello, headache! And that's more incentive NOT to lose your Metrocards.

Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver said that he's been urging Governor Spitzer to delay the fare hike (the MTA will vote on it next week, on 12/19). City Council Christine Quinn said, "With so many other dark things on the economic horizon right now, don't make New Yorkers pay a higher fare when they just don't have to."

And today, the MTA is holding a "webinar" to discuss the fare hike. Held between 12PM and 1:30PM, register here to participate.

Photograph of a Metrocard vending machine by phil h on Flickr

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on December 10, 2007 10:48 AM

Comments [rss]

CJ70

Novanglus, it's even better (worse?) than you thought - the monthly will cost $81, but if you put $80 on the metrocard, you will actually get $92 (with the 15% bonus). That works out to 46 rides or 23 days with 2 rides per day. For me, anyway, that's generally a better deal than the monthly... and I don't have to worry that I'm losing $$ if I have a sick day or anything.

CJ70

Novanglus, it's even better (worse?) than you thought - the monthly will cost $81, but if you put $80 on the metrocard, you will actually get $92 (with the 15% bonus). That works out to 46 rides or 23 days with 2 rides per day. For me, anyway, that's generally a better deal than the monthly... and I don't have to worry that I'm losing $$ if I have a sick day or anything.

JMH

Well... to be honest, I'm OK with the idea that the rates aren't as favorable for commuters from the suburbs as they are for city residents. But then, I'm in favor of increasing the base fare (i.e. make tourists pay more), as a general principle, rather than increasing unlimited ride fares (i.e. make people who live and work here pay more), so that provides some context for my comment.

ohhleary

JMH: Yes, they're called commuters from the suburbs. They use it twice daily to go to/from Grand Central/Penn Station, where they're getting doubly screwed by fare hikes on commuter rail and subway.

JMH

You guys are assuming that the typical subway/bus commuter uses their Metrocard only exactly twice per weekday. I don't think that's accurate. Is there really anyone who lives somewhere that they can commute by subway/bus but never takes either on the weekend? And never goes out for dinner or a drink or a movie after work and takes three or four rides on a weekday instead of two?

Novanglus

Consider this.

5-day work week. 4 weeks in a month. 20 working day per month.

$4 per-per-ride per day (to work and back).

$4 x 20 = $80

1 month unlimited: $81.

Not only did they decrease the savings for buying an unlimited Metrocard, but they made it more expensive to do so.

OMGBBQI

ed_Extinct

or to further make things easier, off set the $7 to $7.50 and up the base fare from $2 to $2.50.

ed_Extinct

*1-Day Fun Pass: Increases from $7 to $7.50*

So by adding the 50¢ this will create tourists to dig for quarters? Very dumb. How about leave it at $7 and increase the weekly from $24 to $26.

Average commuters use the weekly card twice daily, 14x2 = $28, still coming in with a savings of $2.00.

cool

when does this go into effect? trying to figure out my flex spending.

Reality Czech

So, most people work about 20 days of the 30 that the pass is good for. So unless you use the card for something other than work, it is no bargain. And if you are out sick a day or two, then it actually costs more. Fugged up.

Tgirl

bottom line: they don't really care what we think

ohhleary

As a result, many riders’ MetroCards would show uneven amounts as they gradually accrue enough bonus money for an additional fare.

Yes, and by "gradually accrue," they mean, fill up your Metrocard with $7 FORTY TIMES before that five cents actually amounts to something worthwhile.

JMH

This is fucking stupid. Keeping the base fare at $2 when the majority of NYC residents don't pay the base fare is a hollow gesture.

citygrits

Love how the hike most affects the most regular users. How does that make sense?

Steven

why isn't the base fare being raised? Everything else went up, but not the base?

Toby von Meistersinger

The base fare should be raised if they are raising the fare for everyone else. It would be fair.

Just raising the fare by 5 cents would increase farebox revenue.

MT

What idiot does the math when they come up with these new fares? Couldn't they just cut us a break and make it and even $80 for a monthly or $40 for the express bus pass? What's with the extra $1?

mangusta

If you use a creditcard to buy your monthly metrocard be sure to keep the receipt.

IF you then lose your metrocard you can call them up and have the card cancelled, plus they will credit you the remaining balance

I shit you not!