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 ›

A tipster sent Streetsblog and Second Avenue Sagas a file showing the results of an MTA demographics survey. The information is usually kept secret so the MTA can focus on policy-making without any interference from the meddlesome public, but what these blogs received suggests the Authority wasn't lying when they said the Unlimited MetroCard could be eliminated without affecting many commuters. more ›

After an uproar, the MTA seems to be backing away from a proposal to do away with the unlimited MetroCard. Next week the board will vote on a cocktail of fare hikes, but it's looking like a cap on unlimited cards won't be in the mix. MTA Chairman & CEO Jay Walder tells NY1, "There wasn't a lot of enthusiasm for the idea of a capped pass. I think that message has been heard loud and clear. I expect you'll see that in what comes forward to the board." But there's bad news for drivers who don't use EZ-Pass. 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 ›

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 ›

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 ›

When one Upper East Side subway station was not prepared for the final transition over to the newly-priced unlimited Metrocards post-fare hike, straphangers freaked the fudge out. The Post describes the scene at the 86th Street station for the 4, 5, 6 where commuters were "banging the station agent booth window, crying, and forming lines that were 30-people deep at the card vending machines — until one broke down." Since yesterday was the end of the grace period for monthly cards purchased at the pre-fare hike rates, many were forced to exchange their $81 cards when they wouldn't swipe. The station had a mere 50 pre-paid envelopes to give to riders to mail their not fully-used MetroCards back to the MTA for a pro-rated reimbursement that were quickly snatched up, adding to the chaos. The Post says there wasn't even a sign up letting riders know that their old cards wouldn't work. While a NYCT spokesman has already apologized to riders, one commuter told the paper, "I'm hot, frustrated, and they should have honored the old cards. This is bull." No word on if he was crying while quoted. more ›

Keep those quarters handy. Starting at midnight Sunday, the base fare on New York City subways and buses is going up for the first time since 2003—from $2.00 to $2.25. Unlimiteds are also rising in price across the board, with monthly Metrocards going from $81 to $89. If you're on a weekly card or have a longer one about to expire, you might want to make a trip to your nearest subway station this evening to pick a card up the old rates. But don't think about stockpiling them—the grace period to use start using cards purchased at the old rate is Monday July 6th. Funny that the fare hikes have fallen so close to Independence Day without using the holiday for the changeover. Fourth of July was the date that both the free transfer from subways to buses (and vice-versa) debuted and unlimited Metrocards were introduced, in 1997 and 1998 respectively. Signs of this most recent change have been appearing underground this week—sometimes as seen here in as many as five languages at once. more ›

It's fare hike time! On Sunday, June 28, the fare hikes for NYC Transit subway and bus —plus MTA Bus, Long Island Bus, and Staten Island Railway—commuters go up to the not-doomsday new fares. Above are the new prices; the MTA will automatically deduct the higher fare from pay-per-ride MetroCards starting at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday. As for the unlimited MetroCards, it's a little more complicated—here's what the MTA says: more ›