MTA subway fares are going up whether we like it or not - and look, here's another fare proposal

Image source: Youngking11 on Wikimedia Commons

Back in October we learned that the MTA was going to raise subway fares – here are the plans they came up with originally:

Monthly MetroCard

• Increase the the monthly MetroCard to $119 (up $15) and eliminate the pay-per-ride 7% MetroCard bonus.
• Increase the monthly MetroCard to $125 (up $21) and reduce the pay-per-ride MetroCard bonus from 7% to 5%.

Weekly MetroCard

• Increase the weekly unlimited-ride MetroCard to $32 (up $3) and eliminate the Pay-Per-Ride 7% MetroCard bonus.
• Increase the weekly unlimited-ride MetroCard to $34 (up $5) and reduce the Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard bonus from 7% to 5%.

Now Joe Lhota has another idea and it goes like this, according to the Wall Street Journal:

• A monthly unlimited ride MetroCard would go up from $104 to $112.
• A weekly unlimited ride card would rise by a dollar — from $29 to $30.
• The base fare for a subway and bus ride would rise from $2.25 to $2.50.
• And the bonus awarded to riders when they put cash on a pay-per-ride card would shrink from 7% to 5% of the amount added.

The bonus would kick in at $5 (a round trip); this is apparently to protect low-income riders.

Fare Hike Proposal Includes $112 Monthly MetroCard, $2.50 Single Ride [WSJ]
Get ready, straphangers – subway fare hikes are coming [QNYC]