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NYC Subway & Bridge Fare Increases, March 2013

March 5, 2013

Yep, new fares for NYC buses, NYC subways, Metro-North Railroad, LIRR Railroad, and NYC bridges and tunnels.

Effective March 3, 2013:

NYC Subway & NYC Bus

Base Single Ride Fare: Increase from $2.25 to $2.50 → $.25 increase
Single Ticket Fare: Increase from $2.50 to $2.75 → $.25 increase (Sold at vending machines only. Must be used within 2 hours, no transfers included)
Monthly MetroCard/30-Day Unlimited: Increase from $104 to $112 → 7.7% or $8 increase
7-Day Unlimited: $30.00
7-Day Express Bus Plus: $55.00
Express Bus: $6.00
Fee to Purchase New MetroCard $1, so save those used or expired NYC MetroCards and exchange them for a new one! Fee applies to each new MetroCard purchased at station booth, vending machine or commuter rail station.
Pay Per Ride Bonus: An additional 5% is added to your MetroCard with the purchase or addition of $5 or more.

Effective March 1, 2013, fares and tolls are also increased for these NYC bridges and tunnels: Read more…

Filed under: Buses,Driving & Traffic News,E-Z Pass,MTA MetroCard,NYC Driving,Subways,Transportation News — Tags: Henry Hudson Bridge, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Rail, MetroCard, MTA, NYC Bridge, NYC Bus, NYC Subway, NYC Tunnel, Queens Midtown Tunnel, Triboro RFK Bridge, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, Whitestone Bridge — mtohn @ 10:32 am

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New MetroCard for NYC Subways

February 21, 2013

Image,_MTA_MetroCard,_New_Design_Front_&_Back_2-20-13.JPG We posted about NYC MetroCards sporting advertising in October 2012, and we just saw our first NYC Subway MetroCard with the ads. .

This NYC MetroCard’s ad is for audible.com, which lets you read science fiction novels on your smartphone, and suggests you download a free audiobook at audible.com/NYSubway.

I have to say, at first the green card was a bit confusing. I couldn’t figure out which was the front of the card and how to swipe it at the NYC subway turnstile — this card doesn’t have the arrows showing you how to swipe or insert the MetroCard into the reader. But after a few trips, I got the hang of it.

Filed under: Buses,MTA MetroCard,Subways — Tags: NYC Bus, NYC MetroCard, NYC Subway — mtohn @ 12:41 pm

NYC Select Bus Loses Lights

January 23, 2013

NYC bus MTA bus I wasn’t a fan of the NYC Select Service Bus concept at first, but now I’m a die-hard fan. These NYC buses are faster to load and unload passengers, and travel faster because of dedicated bus lanes and limited stops.

I regularly get on the Select Service Bus on a block where there is also a Local Bus stop, and sometimes I decide which bus to take as it arrives. You can pay for the Local Bus as you board, but you have to pre-pay for the Select Service Bus using machines on the curb before boarding. That’s what makes the boarding process so much faster.

I know which bus is coming because the Select Buses have flashing blue lights. But last night, Read more…

Filed under: Buses — Tags: MTA, NYC Bus, NYC Select Service Bus — mtohn @ 5:06 pm

NYS Bus & Subway Fare Increases, Mar 2013

December 25, 2012

We’ve posted about this before and now it’s been confirmed.

Fares for NYC buses and NYC subways will increase effective March 3, 2013.

NYC Subway & NYC Bus

Base Single Ride Fare: Increase from $2.25 to $2.50 → $.25 increase
Single Ticket Fare: Increase from $2.50 to $2.75 → $.25 increase (Sold at vending machines only. Must be used within 2 hours, no transfers included)
Monthly MetroCard/30-Day Unlimited: Increase from $104 to $112 → 7.7% or $8 increase
7-Day Unlimited: $30.00
7-Day Express Bus Plus: $55.00
Express Bus: $6.00
Fee to Purchase New MetroCard $1, so save those used or expired NYC MetroCards and exchange them for a new one! Fee applies to each new MetroCard purchased at station booth, vending machine or commuter rail station.
Pay Per Ride Bonus: An additional 5% is added to your MetroCard with the purchase or addition of $5 or more.

Effective March 1, 2013, fares and tolls are also increased for these NYC bridges and tunnels:

Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)

Increase of approximately 9%

Metro-North Rail

Increase of approximately 9%

Whitestone Bridge, Queens Midtown Tunnel, Triboro RFK Bridge

One-Way Cash Fare: Increase from $6.50 to $7.50 → $1.00 or 15% increase
One-Way E-ZPass Fare: Increase from $4.80 to $5.33 → $.53 or 11% increase

Henry Hudson Bridge

One-Way Cash Fare: Increase from $4.00 to $5.00 → $1.00 or 25% increase
One-Way E-ZPass Fare: Increase from $2.20 to $2.44 → $.24 or 11% increase

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

One-Way Cash Fare: New fare is $15.00
One-Way E-ZPass Fare: New fare is 10.66

These increases should generate an additional $450 million annually.

Filed under: Buses,Driving & Traffic News,MTA MetroCard,NYC Bridges & Tunnels,Subways — mtohn @ 5:23 pm

Tracking a NYC Bus

The NYC MTA has been testing ‘countdown clocks’ on NYC bus shelters so riders can see the arrival time for the next bus. These digital clocks will post status such as ‘Due’ or ’8 Min’. Unfortunately, the MTA is discontinuing these Countdown Clocks because of high costs and the clocks not being accurate.

Instead, NYC bus riders will use ‘Bus Time’, a mobile app and computer program that will let you track the NYC buses and know where they are. You won’t be able to get an estimate of when your bus will arrive, but I supposed you could guess based on where the bus is and how fast or slow it’s moving.

Bus Time is supposed to be available by the end of 2012. Only 6 days left…

Filed under: Buses — Tags: NYC Bus, NYC Bus Time, NYC MTA — mtohn @ 2:57 pm

NYC Gridlock Alert Days 2012

November 29, 2012

NYC traffic during the November and December holiday season can be brutal. There are certain days when the NYC traffic is at an all-time high, and you are advised to use NYC subways and buses on these NYC Gridlock Alert days:

Friday, December 7th, 2012
Thursday, December 13th, 2012
Friday, December 14th, 2012
Wednesday, December 19th, 2012
Thursday, December 20th, 2012
Friday, December 21st, 2012

During this holiday season, NYC Department of Transportation will again implement the Holiday Traffic Mitigation Plan. The Holiday Traffic Plan was developed in coordination with other agencies and includes nine NYC Gridlock Alert Days, as well as right turn restrictions and temporary adjustments to parking regulations at key locations in Midtown Manhattan. You might also find some lanes on North-South Avenues either blocked or not letting you change lanes. Good luck!

You can also expect NYC parking garage rates to be a bit higher during events such as the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Filed under: Buses,Congestion / Traffic Pricing,Parking & Traffic Tickets,Rockefeller Centre Tree Lighting,Subways — Tags: NYC Gridlock Alert, NYC parking garage, NYC Traffic — mtohn @ 10:31 am

NYC Subway & Bus Fare Hikes 2013

November 4, 2012

It’s that time again, when the NYC MTA is considering raining fares for NYC subways and NYC buses.

What are the changes?

30-Day Unlimited MetroCard — increase from $104 to $125, a 20% increase
NYC Bus & NYC Subway Fare — increase from $2.25 to $2.50
7-Day Unlimited MetroCard — potential increase from $29 to $34
MetroCard 7% bonus when you put at least $10 on a pay-per-ride card — may be eliminated
Long Island Rail Road — potential 8% increase
Metro-North Rail Road — potential 8% increase
NYC Bridges — increase from $6.50 to $7.50 for cash tolls

These NYC subway and bus fare increases expect to bring in $450 million a year. The MTA Board will hold hearings in November and will vote on the proposals in December 2012.

These NYC bus and subway fare increases could be avoided in New York Governor Andrew Cuomo increases state funds for public transit. The state comptroller’s office has said fare and toll hikes continue to outpace inflation, placing a burden on commuters across the metropolitan region.

Filed under: Buses,MTA MetroCard,Subways — Tags: LIRR, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, MetroCard, NYC Bus, NYC Subway — mtohn @ 3:40 pm

Interesting NYC Statistics

September 29, 2012

Crain’s New York Business has published some fascinating statistics about NYC, ranging from travel to social media to health care. Here’s what we found about NYC transportation.

MetroCard — Introduced in 1994 and available on all NYC subways and NYC buses in 1997. NYC is sure that the MetroCard helps account for a 64% rise in subway ridership since 1991, from 995.2 million rides to 1,634.2 million in 2011 . NYC bus ridership was 529 million rides in 1991, 754.7 million in 2002, and 665.3 million in 2002.

NYC Subway Stations — they’re busy, dirty, and handle millions of passengers every day. The chart below shows that NYC Union Sq-14th St station has seen a 34% increase in traffic from 2001 – 2011.

Filed under: Buses,Subways — Tags: NYC Bus, NYC Subway — mtohn @ 1:54 pm

Technology in NYC Transportation

September 25, 2012

The East side of NYC is in a major gridlock this week with the UN General Assembly, with checkpoints, gridlocks, and closed streets. When you add in all the meetings, dinners, TV shows, and parties that the world’s leaders are going to, the entire city becomes a maze of detours and frustration. Just last Saturday night after midnight, a NYC police officer did not allow me to cross 6th Ave at 54th St because ’6th Avenue was being closed’. Undeterred, I calmly walked across 54th St and hopped in a taxi up 6th Ave, then waved to the police officer as I passed him.

WNYC has done a great set of interviews covering how technology can help us improve NYC traffic and transportation.

Types of Technology Being Used

NYC has spent $300mm on hightech ‘toys’ that make transportation better. An interview with Transportation Nation’s Alex Goldmark shares information about:

Midtown in Motion — this program comprises NYC’s most congested 200 square blocks. Read more…

Filed under: Buses,E-Z Pass,Getting Around NYC,Subways,UN General Assembly — Tags: EZ Pass, Midtown in Motion, NYC Bus, NYC Subway, NYC Traffic — mtohn @ 12:15 pm

Subway & Bus Fare Increase 2013

August 20, 2012

The MTA budget released in late July 2012 includes fare increases in 2013 and 2015. That means you’ll be paying more to ride a NYC bus or NYC subway.

We don’t know the amount of the new fares, but the budget shows that combining MTA fares and tolls is expecting to bring in $450 million in 2013, and $500 million in 2015.

Don’t like another fare increase? You can voice your objection at MTA public hearings in November.

The NYC MTA Board will vote in December, and any fare increase will be implemented in March 2013.

Filed under: Buses,MTA MetroCard,NYC Public Transportation,Subways,Visiting NYC — Tags: MTA, NYC Bus, NYC Subway — mtohn @ 6:40 pm

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