Despite Atrocious Subway & Bus Service, MTA Votes to Raise Fares Starting in April

Bronx residents are about to be shafted again by being asked to pay more for inferior service.

The MTA board has approved fare and toll increases which will begin on March 31st with bridges and tunnels and on April 21st with buses and subways.

Although the base fare would remain $2.75 for subways and buses, the MTA is viciously eliminating the MetroCard Bonus that many riders rely upon.

That means that if you add $5.50 or more to your card, you will no longer get the 5% bonus that gives many commuters a free ride here and there. These bonuses add up but by taking them away they are indeed raising the fares.

Weekly unlimited MetroCards are going up $1 dollar to $33, and monthly by $6 bucks to $127.

Express bus commuters will also have to shell out more.

Fares on express buses are going up a quarter to $6.75 per ride and the 7 day plus express bus pass will go up to $62 from $59.50.

Metro-North commuters will see an increase of about 4% from all Bronx stations into Grand Central will now cost you $9.75 for a one way peak ticket versus the current $9.25. Monthly commuter tickets will go up $8 bucks to $216 a month. (You can see the full fare increase schedule here for Metro-North).

Crossing over the Triboro (ugh, we really hate calling it the RFK), Whitestone and Throggs Neck Bridge (we also refuse to call it “Throgs Neck”) will cost E-Z pass riders $6.12 up from $5.76 and an even bigger jump if you’re a pay-by-mail rider which will cost you a dollar extra at $9.50 starting March 31st.

Over at the Henry Hudson in Riverdale, you’ll be charged $2.80 (up from $2.64) for E-Z pass and pay-by-mail commuters will pay an extra $1 as it rises to $7.00.

So what are we getting out of all these hikes? Wages are stagnant but we’re asked to pay more for crumbling infrastructure that doesn’t really get us going where we need to.

I personally gave up the subway last year and now almost exclusively just ride a bike everywhere in The Bronx and NYC and actually get to places much faster not to mention a lot cheaper.

Before the MTA asks us to pay more they need to actually OFFER more. We need reliable and frequent service.

It’s an embarrassment that America’s largest city and the city that never sleeps has such deplorable transit service.

Get your act together, MTA.

Head over to the MTA website for full information on all fare increases so you can see how it will impact you.