The MTA plans to institute new fare discounts on Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North trips that start and end within the five boroughs — and the deal will come online as the agency rolls out its congestion pricing program in Manhattan.
The MTA board on Tuesday is set to approve a 10% discount on monthly tickets for fare zones within the city.
The deal would reduce the cost of a monthly LIRR pass between Jamaica and Penn Station from $220 to $198.
Monthly Metro-North passes on between Grand Central Terminal and the northern Bronx would drop from $199.75 to $180.
Transit officials plan for them to go into effect July 1, the day after the MTA announced it would launch its congestion pricing tolls.
MTA officials expect some commuters will switch from cars to mass transit once congestion pricing begins charging a $15 daytime fee to enter Manhattan below 60th Street.
Nobody likes to sit in traffic,” said Lisa Daglian, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA.
MTA officials did not provide an estimate as to how much the new fare discounts will cost.
New fare reductions on Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North trips beginning and ending in the five boroughs are planned by the MTA; the agreement will take effect concurrently with the agency’s launch of its congestion pricing program in Manhattan.
On Tuesday, the MTA board will decide whether to approve a ten percent monthly ticket discount for fare zones inside the city. Through the agreement, a monthly LIRR pass between Jamaica and Penn Station would only cost $198 instead of $220. Metro-North would charge $180 per month instead of $199.75 for monthly passes between Grand Central Terminal and the northern Bronx.
A one-year pilot program is used to promote the discounts. The day after the MTA announced it would begin implementing congestion pricing tolls, July 1, is when transit officials intend for them to take effect.
According to MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan, the agency already reduced all monthly commuter train tickets by 10% in March 2022; the additional 10% reduction for riders would result from the new suggested discounts.
Additionally, the MTA increased commuter train fares by about 4% in the previous year.
When congestion pricing starts charging a $15 daytime fee to enter Manhattan below 60th Street, MTA officials anticipate that some commuters will make the switch from cars to mass transit.
“The best way to get around is to board trains, subways, buses, or express buses. Lisa Daglian, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, told the MTA that “nobody likes to sit in traffic.”. “The nation’s best transit system is found in New York City. In addition to saving money and time, it will aid in preserving the climate and environment. “.
The Outer Borough Transportation Account, a small transit fund created in 2019 when congestion pricing became law, will be used to pay for the discounts in New York state.
Gov. Earlier this year, Kathy Hochul and state legislators took over $20 million out of the fund to provide Queens and Bronx drivers with additional toll discounts on a few MTA bridges.
The estimated cost of the new fare discounts was not disclosed by MTA officials.
