The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday proposed a 10 cent hike to bus and subway fares starting in January 2026.
At its July financial plan board meeting, the transit agency said it is proposing to increase the base fare for subways, local buses, the Staten Island Railway and Paratransit to increase by 10 cents to $3.00. Express bus fares would rise to $7.25, from the current $7.00.
The reduced-fare would remain at half-off the base fare, rising from $1.45 to $1.50. Single-ride tickets on subways and buses will increase to $3.50 from the current $3.25. The fee for a new OMNY card would increase to $2 when the MetroCard is no longer accepted for fare payment later in 2026.
“The ticket policy changes proposed today round out our efforts first launched in 2022 when we introduced fare-capping, and other fare promotions, to modernize our payment system and make navigating NYC’s transit system easier and more affordable,” MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara said in a statement. “We shared our plan to finalize the tap-and go rollout, which is how 75% of subway and bus riders are already paying their fares; and on the railroads, these fare policy proposals offer clearer options and better savings – encouraging more travel with greater flexibility.”
In addition, the seven-day rolling fare cap, which allows customers to pay for 12 rides in a seven-day period and automatically ride free for the rest of the week with no pre-payment required, would become permanent. At the proposed base fare, no customer would pay more than $36 for subway and local bus rides in a week; reduced-fare customers would pay no more than $18 in a week.
Fare capping would also be extended to the express bus network on a promotional basis. During this promotion, express bus riders would never pay more than $67 for unlimited express bus, local bus and subway rides in any seven-day period, the MTA said.
The transit agency is also considering increasing tolls on its nine bridges and tunnels. For the RFK, Whitestone, Throgs Neck, Verrazzano Bridges and the Queens-Midtown, Hugh L. Carey Tunnels, the proposed toll would go from $6.94 to $7.46. The Henry Hudson Bridge would go from $3.18 to $3.42, and the Cross Bay and Marine Parkway Bridges would go from $2.60 to $2.80.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he was not pleased with the proposed fare hike and urged board members to reject the proposal.
“The current MTA fare is already too high for many, and we have taken steps within our control to ease the burden through Fair Fares, which we recently expanded to include New Yorkers earning up to 145% of the federal poverty level, making nearly 1 million low-income residents eligible for discounted MTA benefits," he said in a statement. "And now, with congestion pricing set to generate billions in dedicated funding for MTA improvements, the agency has no excuse."
A series of hybrid public hearings will be held on Aug. 19 and 20. Additional opportunities for the public to comment in-person are scheduled for September at various regional satellite locations that will be announced at a later date. After considering public comment, the MTA Board will vote on these proposed fare changes, which would go into effect in January 2026.
