The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is forecasting the need for transit fare and toll increases in 2027 and 2029.<\/p>\n
Agency officials, announcing a balanced budget for this year at a meeting on July 29, said the hikes would combine for a 4 percent revenue increase.<\/p>\n
\u201cThanks to Governor Hochul and our $600-plus million in cost savings, the MTA\u2019s budget is balanced for 2026, but there are deficits looming,\u201d said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber in a press release from the agency. \u201cFast-growing expenses outside MTA\u2019s control are outpacing revenues, creating a structural deficit problem that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\n
The MTA said at the meeting that fare and toll \u201cadjustments\u201d would be scheduled to go into place in March 2027 and again in March 2029.<\/p>\n
Both will have to be approved by the MTA\u2019s board. If passed, the increases would bookend a 2028 hike in Manhattan congestion pricing tolls from $9 to $12.<\/p>\n
Even while planning the hikes, the MTA said stronger tax and subsidy receipts and lower projected debt-service costs have helped cushion against some rising costs, as have nearly $600 million in recurring savings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe MTA remains on firm financial footing this year, but the July Plan shows deficits beginning next year as costs largely outside our control continue to rise,\u201d said MTA Chief Financial Officer Jai Patel. \u201cWe will keep finding efficiencies and carefully managing the expenses we can control, while being candid about the growing gap in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Queens Village resident Charlton D\u2019souza, the founder and president of the advocacy group Passengers United, told the Chronicle the MTA does not merit an increase based on recent service.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re very upset because of OMNY, because of the Queens Bus redesign, the bus stop eliminations,\u201d D\u2019souza said. \u201cWe\u2019ve received so many complaints. I personally have been overcharged on my OMNY card.\u201d<\/p>\n
Passengers United has sent a letter to the office of state Attorney General Letitia James requesting that she investigate. A spokesman for the AG told the Chronicle in an email on Tuesday that the letter has been received and is under review.<\/p>\n
In a question-and-answer session with the press after the meeting, Lieber was asked about complaints about OMNY overcharges, dropped transfers and failure to credit some individual card swipes toward the rolling seven-day cap that triggers free rides.<\/p>\n
He cautioned against relying totally on word-of-mouth and social media.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything that happens on OMNY is traceable,\u201d he said in a video of the meeting available on the MTA\u2019s website. \u201cSo if somebody has a problem, come to us. Show us the fare medium you are using. We can trace all of your usage. We can see and respond … We will correct it.\u201d<\/p>\n