Major changes to the fare and ticketing policies of the Metropolitan Transportation Agency’s (MTA) services went into effect on Jan. 4, affecting Metro-North Railroad passengers traveling to and from Connecticut.
“The policy changes…simplify ticketing rules and speed up the fare-collection process,” the MTA said in a statement. “They [have been] adopted as a pilot program, subject to ongoing review.”
Chief among the changes is the replacement of round-trip tickets with “day passes,” which allow for unlimited travel between the fare zones purchased. On weekdays, the day pass will cost 10% less than two one-way peak tickets, and on weekends it will cost the same as two one-way off-peak tickets.
As part of the new rules, all one-way tickets and day passes — both paper and those purchased through the MTA’s TrainTime mobile app — will now expire at 4 a.m. the day after purchase. Formerly, they were valid for 60 days; it’s a move the MTA hopes will curtail the “re-use” of unpunched tickets for later trips.
Also gone is the 10-trip ticket. As a consolation, buying 10 trips in a 14-day period will get you an 11th trip free for use within that same period — but only if you purchase them on the app.
The MTA also wants to cut down on passengers purchasing or activating tickets onboard the train. The surcharge is now $8 whether you’re buying from a conductor or the app, which will show “an escalating series of warnings” to offenders, compared and confirmed by digital timestamps when your ticket is scanned.
“There was a lot of unintentional fare evasion, and even some opportunistic fare evasion, and we’re adjusting to that,” Janno Lieber, CEO of the MTA, said at the agency board’s meeting in December. “So, everyone has confidence this is a fair system where everyone’s paying their fair share.”
Another impact of the changes sees fares on the Long Island Railroad and Metro-North’s Harlem and Hudson Lines, as well as to and from New Haven Line stations in Westchester County and the Bronx, increase by 4.5% for monthly and weekly tickets and by 8% for all other ticket types.
While the price to and from Connecticut will stay the same for now, a 5% increase, the second of two doses, is on its way in July. By then, a one-way ticket from New Haven to Grand Central will cost $20.25 off-peak and $27.25 peak, and the fare for U-Pass cardholders will be $11.55 off-peak and $15.75 peak.
“Go to a diner of your choice and figure out what else has gone down in price since before [2020]. Not many things. Even where we’re doing the 2% annual fare increases, we’re staying well below inflation, so the fare model has been great,” Lieber also said at the meeting.
The cost of the CityTicket, the MTA’s one-price fare option for exclusive rail travel within the city’s five boroughs, has likewise gone up: $5.25 from $5 for off-peak tickets and $7.25 from $7 for peak tickets.
The good news for seniors (and other qualified customers) is that reduced fares will be available “all day, every day” even in the morning peak period. However, there is no discount on the new day passes.
Goodbye, MetroCard
It’s also the end of an era for the subway’s MetroCard, as sales and refills stopped on Jan. 1. Last March, the MTA announced they would “sunset” the beloved fare pass in favor of a contactless payment system as part of their “One Metro New York,” or OMNY, initiative.
“After 32 years, it’s time to say goodbye to the MetroCard and go ‘all in’ on the fare payment system of the future,” Lieber said in the announcement.
Coinciding with the switchover, subway and bus fares have increased to $3 from $2.90. Even though many people are dissatisfied with the hike, the first in over two years, Lieber maintains they “prioritize value for frequent riders…while maintaining the MTA’s bottom line.”
“Because transit fares [are] 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,” Lieber added.
The “tap-and-go” screen at the turnstile now allows riders to pay their fare directly with debit and credit cards as well as smartphone wallets which support contactless payments and new OMNY fare passes.
With the new method, passengers can also pay for 12 rides in a seven-day period and automatically ride free for the rest of the week, a perk that was previously only for pre-paid customers.
“While there’s no doubt the MetroCard will remain an iconic New York City symbol, tap-and-go fare payment has been a game changer for everyday riders and visitors,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara.
For now, you can still swipe your MetroCard — the official retirement date is yet to be announced — and any remaining value can be transferred to an OMNY pass at one of the MTA’s customer service outlets through two years after the MetroCard’s printed expiration date.
The MTA also said that the OMNY system “unlocks potential for new promotions, discounts, special deals for tourists and even the possibility of a loyalty program similar to frequent flyer airline programs.”
Launched in 1994 as a replacement for subway tokens, the MetroCard was later co-opted for use on the MTA’s local and regional bus network, the JFK AirTrain, the Roosevelt Island Tramway and the PATH system — becoming a tri-state icon in its own right.
For more information on MTA service fares, and to calculate specific trips, visit mta.info/fares-tolls.