The MTA is ringing in the new year with higher fares, raising the cost of subway and bus rides — and bridge and tunnel tolls — starting Sunday, Jan. 4.
The base fare for subways, local buses and Access-A-Ride will increase 10 cents, from $2.90 to $3. Single-ride ticket prices will rise from $3.25 to $3.50, while express bus fares will increase 25 cents to $7.25.
What You Need To Know
The base fare for subways, local buses and Access-A-Ride rises 10 cents to $3 starting Jan. 4
Riders will still get unlimited free trips after 12 rides in a week, with a $35 weekly cap
Tolls at all MTA bridges and tunnels increase 7.5%, including E-ZPass and Tolls by Mail
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the increases, approved by the MTA’s board in September, are modest and meant to keep pace with inflation while avoiding steeper hikes.
Riders will continue to benefit from a rolling seven-day fare cap, which the agency has made permanent. After paying for 12 rides in a seven-day period, additional subway and bus trips will be free, meaning no rider will pay more than $35 in a week.
Reduced-fare customers, such as those benefiting from the agency’s Fair Fares program, will be capped at $17.50 weekly. Meanwhile, a separate cap will apply to express bus users, who will not pay more than $67 in a seven-day period for unlimited express bus, local bus and subway rides.
Reduced fares, however, will increase slightly.
The reduced subway and bus fare will rise 5 cents, from $1.45 to $1.50, while the reduced express bus fare will increase from $3.50 to $3.60. The MTA said there will be no changes to discount policies for seniors, people with disabilities, students or the Paratransit Zero Fare program.
As part of the transition to OMNY — the MTA’s contactless payment system — traditional seven-day, 30-day and express bus unlimited MetroCards will no longer be sold. The final day to purchase or refill a MetroCard was Dec. 31.
However, riders can still load $35 onto an OMNY card for unlimited seven-day travel, with unused funds rolling over. Cash and coins will continue to be accepted at OMNY vending machines in subway stations and at about 2,700 retail locations.
The fee for a new OMNY card will increase to $2 once MetroCards are no longer accepted. MetroCards with remaining balances will continue to be accepted into 2026, with a final acceptance date yet to be announced.
On the roads, drivers will also see higher costs.
Tolls at all MTA-controlled bridges and tunnels will increase 7.5%, for both E-ZPass users and Tolls by Mail.
The E-ZPass toll on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Robert F. Kennedy, Bronx-Whitestone and Throgs Neck bridges, and the Queens Midtown and Hugh L. Carey tunnels, will rise to $7.46. The Henry Hudson Bridge toll will increase to $3.42, while tolls on the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial and Cross Bay Veterans Memorial bridges will go up to $2.80.
Resident discount programs for Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island will remain in place. However, tolls under the discount programs will also increase.