NYC commuters can expect a sliver of relief at the turnstile, as the MTA revised its ongoing fare hike proposal to lower the price of its seven-day subway and bus fare cap.
The new proposal cuts the unlimited OMNY fare cap price by $1. The now $34 cap will increase to $35, instead of the two-dollar increase to $36 that the MTA proposed in July.
Under the cap, customers pay for 12 rides in a seven-day period; all rides after that are free. At the proposed base fare, no rider would pay more than $35 in a week. Reduced-fare customers would pay no more than $17.50 in a week.
The MTA also announced changes to the plan to increase commuter rail fares. All one-way mobile and paper commuter rail tickets for the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North will expire at 4 a.m. the following day. This revision replaces the original proposal from July, which included a four-hour validity window on the tickets.
According to the MTA, the changes sprouted from a six-week public comment period over the summer, during which more customers, advocates, and elected officials submitted comments expressing their fare-hike concerns.
Meanwhile, the fare for a single subway or bus ride is still expected to increase from $2.90 to $3 in January 2026. An express ride will likely increase from $7 to $7.25.
The fare increases were first slated to go into effect in March, but the MTA said it delayed them to January to align with the launch of OMNY, the tap-and-ride system, on subways and buses. MetroCards will no longer be available for sale starting Dec. 31, 2025.
Commuters will still be able to use MetroCard for a period in 2026. However, the fee for a new OMNY card will increase to $2 once MetroCard is no longer accepted for fare payment later in 2026. According to the MTA, OMNY cards are “more durable and last for up to five years.”
The MTA board must still vote to approve the changes, which is expected to happen on Tuesday.
