Yesterday marked the first day of the new unlimited Metrocard fares ($3 more for weekly cards, $6 more for monthly cards), and riders have given it mixed reviews. Well, at least, it plays out like this in the local papers: Post and Daily News interview subjects are riders who complain about the hike, while the NY Times spoke to riders who were philosophical, and Newsday has a mix of both reactions. Yes, it's almost like a profile of each paper's readers! MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow says that most riders are still paying what they usually do, and that even with this fare increase, riders are getting a great deal. Gothamist is just trying to remember that we really need to use our Metrocard and not fall back on as many cab rides, which means needing to be more ready and timely, so inadvertently, the MTA is making us make good on one of our resolutions this year.
Reader Grant has developed a PDF of the most cost-efficient combination of Metrocard purchases you should make, based on your number of rides. It's a work in progress, but check it out: MTA fare analysis (PDF).
