Remember when the MTA approved a $1 surcharge for each new MetroCard you buy? It's baaaaaacccck. Later today the MTA will unveil its 2012 budget and though it reportedly doesn't include fare hikes or service cuts (hallelujah!) it does include the return of that rascally surcharge. more ›

With gas prices on the rise, the New York Taxi Workers Alliance hasn't been quiet about wanting to discuss a fare hike with the TLC. And now they've announced exactly what they are hoping for. In addition to the already discussed $.10 rate increase for stuck traffic (from $.40 to $.50 per minute) and a per-mile increase from $2 to $2.40, they are also asking for a $1 morning rush hour commute surcharge and an increase in the flat rate for trips between Manhattan and JFK from $45 to $55. more ›

Don't get too used to paying $104 for your 30-day unlimited MetroCard. The MTA is already aiming to raise fares again in 2013 (possibly dwarfing the last hike) and Streetsblog points out that a report from the State's Comptrollers office [PDF] paints a scary picture in which things could get much worse. more ›

Did you buy an unlimited MetroCard before the last fare hike and hold off on activating it so as to game the system? Nice try, pal. All 30-day Unlimited MetroCards purchased before the hike are set to expire tonight at 11:59 p.m.. Because you knew that the MTA wasn't going to let you keep one extra penny of your money if they could help it. Sigh. more ›

According to a headline in the Daily News, "Gov. Cuomo may cut funding to transit system without raising fares." Nice, right? Apparently Cuomo, recognizing that straphangers have had fare hikes three years in a row, is pushing hard to balance the State budget without making the agency further abuse its customers. Instead, he's trying to figure out how to cut just enough so as not to tip the scales. However, considering the warnings of another fare hike from the MTA last week, we won't hold our breath. more ›

Wasn't your post-Blizzard commute great this morning? OK, so it's not like the MTA could have done anything about a massive, city-wrecking snowstorm, but we're sure you're not itching to reward them for those 32 hours underground with even more money. Too bad. The new MTA fare hikes will go into effect on Thursday, featuring the $104 monthly MetroCard and $1 MetroCard surcharge to go into effect sometime in 2011. more ›

If you thought you could postpone the pain of the subway and bus fare hikes starting in January by stockpiling unlimited MetroCards at their current prices, the MTA knows what you're up to. To undermine your scheme, they're setting grace periods for each type of unlimited MetroCard, and when that grace expires, software at subway turnstiles and bus fareboxes will firmly reject you. Those dastardly Transit Authoritarians have thought of everything! Here's how it breaks down for MetroCards purchased before December 30th: more ›

It's not entirely fair to blame the MTA board members for the fare hikes they're expected to vote in this morning; they're bound by the failures of our representatives in Albany, who've cut $143 million in dedicated transit funds in 2010. The MTA faces an $800 million dollar budget shortfall, and today's vote comes in the wake of the biggest service cuts in a generation. Now it's all but confirmed that the monthly unlimited MetroCard will go up to $104—a 17% jump—which means you'll have to swipe your card at least 50 times a month for it to be a better deal than the pay-per-ride card. more ›

MTA chief Jay Walder is hinting that the price of a monthly unlimited MetroCard will go up to $104. Officials say they've been considering two options when it comes to unlimited cards: raising the cost to $104 for a monthly or $38 for 7 days, or putting a cap on the unlimited cards. (A monthly limited "unlimited" card would max out at 90 trips, and weekly limited "unlimited" cards would expire at 21 rides.) But speaking at a meeting of the New York Building Congress yesterday, Agency chief Jay Walder signaled that killing the unlimited was probably no longer an option. more ›

Tonight's the first of 9 public hearings being held by the MTA board on the matter of the proposed fare hikes. In order to increase fares and tolls by 7.5%, the board is considering a variety of cuts; the most controversial of these would be the elimination of the Unlimited ride MetroCard. This would max out a monthly "unlimited" card at 90 trips, and put a cap of 21 rides on weekly "unlimited" cards. To recap, here are the other changes being proposed: more ›

The sneaky campaign to make straphangers appreciate the next round of fare hikes seems to be going as planned. Yesterday, it was "leaked" that the MTA was considering a $130 unlimited monthly MetroCard—a $41 hike from the current $89, and $26 over the initially floated $104. Today, the MTA said in a statement, "This is not an official MTA proposal. I'd be very surprised if that's where we end up." And cue thankful riders forgetting all about the still-steep $15 hike and those "limited unlimited" cards, right? more ›

The wild cards over at the MTA just sprung a third option for the fare hike on the monthly MetroCard. Last month their budget proposal suggested options for a $104 monthly MetroCard or a $99 "limited unlimited," which would give riders 90 rides over 30 days. But yesterday, MTA CEO Jay Walder threw a curve ball at straphangers, and suggested making the unlimited monthly card $130. more ›

This morning MTA executives are presenting their dreaded four-year plan to the authority board at their monthly meeting. By now you know about the various fare hikes under consideration to close a $400 million budget gap. One part of the plan that hasn't got that much attention is a proposal to raise the threshold for discounts on pay-per-ride MetroCards. Right now, riders who buy an $8 MetroCard get a 15% discount; the new plan would raise the bar to $10 to trigger a discount. And the discount would be slashed to 7%. more ›

The time has come to put away touristy things: tomorrow the full MTA board will propose the elimination of the one day "Fun Pass" MetroCard, which was introduced as a boon for tourists back in 1998. But the passport to fun has been abused by subway scammers, who use it to sell discounted $2 swipes to commuters. The MTA is also expected to scrap the 14-day unlimited MetroCard, which is only used by 2% of commuters. On the plus side, there's now a chance that the weekly and monthly unlimited MetroCards will survive without limitations, albeit at a higher cost. more ›

In their latest piece about the proposed fare hikes from the MTA, the Times offers this bit of insight that may shock you: when the MTA faces a deficit, it's the riders who must pay to fill it. We thought double rainbows and Princess Leia would take care of everything, but it is now being reported that to close their $400 million budget gap, the MTA will be relying on the assumption that straphangers will pay up because they have no other choice. Surely you jest, Gray Lady! more ›

If there's any good news in relation to the latest proposed MTA fare hikes, it's that those who don't use the subway very often may be feeling the brunt of the cost. Though they say they want to fill their $400 million budget gap without raising the $2.25 base fare, the Daily News reports that the fare for single-ride paper subway tickets could be going up to $2.50. (The base fare would apparently remain $2.25 for bus rides.) Just 2.1% of customers use single-ride tickets, and we're guessing many of them don't use the subways that frequently. more ›

The MTA is facing a budget shortfall of at least $400 million this year, but when the state legislature bailed them out last year, the Authority promised not to hike fares more than 7.5%. So now MTA officials are trying to find a way to cover the shortfall without increasing the $2.25 base fare, and they've come up with some creative solutions! One option would add a $1 surcharge for customers who buy a new MetroCard instead of refilling their old MetroCard. more ›

After enacting a huge fare hike at the beginning of the month, NJ Transit is now making good on proposed service cuts. The Star-Ledger reports that the agency, "the nation's third-largest provider of bus, rail and light rail transit cut at least two trains from each line. The cuts mean commuters might have a longer wait for trains or find cars more crowded." There has been a 2.6% decrease "in bus, rail and light rail passengers in the first week of the fare hike. Officials had anticipated a drop in ridership of up to 5 percent." more ›

NJ Transit's board approved fare hikes for its rail and bus lines today to attempt to bridge its $300 million budget gap. Hikes were originally going to be 25% across the board, but now some services will just go up by 10%; the agency said its "revised fare and service plan...eases impacts to the majority of its riders - many who are transit dependent riders, including low-income customers, seniors and people with disabilities." more ›

Yesterday New Yorkers received their second stern warning in a week about the dire state of the MTA. "I don't see much basis for hope. I'm very concerned," said Lt. Gov. Ravitch, top liaison to the MTA, according to the Post. As the agency wrestles with a $383 million budget gap, it’s putting free student metrocards, as well as some bus, subway and paratransit service on the the chopping block. Anything, anything, to avoid raising the fare in 2010. more ›

After approving far-reaching transit cuts and leaving open the possibility for additional service reductions, MTA board members are urging the transit agency to use stimulus money and capital funds to balance the budget. "These are desperate times and stimulus money is intended to be used for situations like this," said board member Andrew Albert. "It's not a trend." more ›

The far-reaching MTA service cuts approved yesterday are just the tip of the iceberg, according to Mayor Bloomberg. Reducing service, eliminating the W and V trains, and cutting dozens of bus routes will help the MTA close about half of its $750 million budget shortfall—meaning the agency will need to make $400 million of additional cuts by the end of the year. "This is just the beginning," Bloomberg told the Post. "The next round I would think would be much worse ... So save your anger for the next round. Just say thank you that it isn't any worse with this one." more ›

After discovering that many taxi drivers scammed riders out of millions by charging them out-of-town rates, the Taxi and Limousine Commission has outfitted 5,000 cabs with a new system that alerts riders when the rate system has changed, with the rest of the city's cabs getting the new system installed in the next few days. The TLC is also working on an audio alert to notify riders of a fare hike. For reference, the standard city rate is $.40 for one-fifth of a mile, and the number on the left of the fare box should read "1." Out-of-town fare is $.80 for one-fifth of a mile, and the number should read "4." One passenger told NY1, "I'm wondering why it wasn't done before." more ›

Despite promising to not raise fares until next year, MTA board members are considering increasing the cost of MetroCards in an attempt to balance a budget that will still come up short by $378 million even after service cuts. "In view of the reaction we got to the service reductions we have out there, I think that asking most board members if they'd rather see more service cuts or a fare increase, I think, at the moment, many would pick a fare increase," said one board member. more ›

Facing a $300 million budget gap, NJ Transit has announced a series of proposed fare hikes and service cuts that are making commuters reel. A man who uses mass transit due to a sight impairment tells the Star-Ledger, "This is an absolute nightmare for all transit riders, and it must have been done with either intentional malice or reckless disregard for the mobility of people who don’t have automobiles. NJ Transit’s slogan is ‘The Way to Go.’ But Gov. (Chris) Christie is telling us that the automobile is the way to go." more ›

NJ Transit executive director James Weinstein says that the agency may announce its fare hikes and “across-the-system” service cuts tomorrow. According to the Star-Ledger, "As many as two to four trains will be cut from every line, and fares could jump by [nearly 30%] the largest amount in years. For example, a $5.50 train ride from Hackensack to New York could cost another $1.50." more ›

There's already talk that the MTA will raise fares by more than the expected 7.5 percent next year—but now transit experts say the cash-strapped agency might increase the cost of commuting before the end of 2010. With a budget shortfall that's only gotten worse in recent weeks, MTA chairman Jay Walder told the Times: "[I]t has been my intent to hold to that scheduled increase...I believe that having regularly scheduled increases is preferable to increasing fares and tolls in other circumstances, and we're trying very much to stay in that mode." But trying very much doesn't necessarily mean will, according to insiders. "He very consciously did not rule it out," warned one transit watchdog. more ›

The MTA isn't the only transit agency pondering fare hikes. According to WCBS, NJ Transit officials claim they might need to increase fares if Gov. Chris Christie moves forward with his plan to cut $32 million in funding. Facing a $2.2 billion budget deficit, Christie says he has to reduce funding and suggested NJ Transit negotiate with unions before upping fares. NJ Transit executive director James Weinstein told ABC: "I pledge to our fareholders that we will look at everything possible on the cost side of the equation before we talk about imposing burdens on the riders of our system." The fare hike would be agency's the second in three years. more ›