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MTA fare and toll hike coming in March 2017

Published  November 16, 2016 5:39pm EST
Long Island
FOX 5 New York

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - New Yorkers and suburban commuters: get ready for another MTA toll and fare hike in 2017.

The MTA unveiled two options for the fare and toll hike. Under both options, a 30-day MetroCard would increase to $121 and the 7-day MetroCard would increase to $32.

The main difference in the two options is how the base fare and bonuses are calculated.

In Plan A, the base MetroCard fare and local bus cash fare would stay the same -- $2.75 -- but the bonus for spending $5 or more would be reduced to 5 percent down from the current 11 percent.

In Plan B, the base MetroCard fare and local bus cash fare would increase to $3 and commuters would earn a 16 percent bonus for spending $6 or more.

Fares on Metro-North Railroad and Long Island Rail Road will also go up by varying amounts.

Tolls on MTA bridges and tunnels would go up 4 percent or less for New York E-ZPass holders and higher for cash transactions. For example, the cash toll on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge would go up a dollar, to $17, but for E-ZPass holders the toll would increase to $11.52 from $11.08. Staten Island residents would continue to get significant discounts.

The MTA will hold a series of public hearings in December. The board will vote on the plans in January. The new fares and tolls will take effect on March 19, 2017.