About one in five New York City subway and bus riders say they struggle to afford the current $3 fare, according to a new study released as the MTA prepares to consider another price increase.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is targeting March 2027 for its next fare and toll adjustment as part of a plan to raise that revenue by 4%. If the full increase were applied to the $3 base fare, the price would rise to roughly $3.12. The MTA has not yet presented a final subway or bus fare proposal, and any increase would still require approval from its board.
The potential hike comes as a survey from the Community Service Society, an anti-poverty nonprofit, found that approximately 20% of riders cannot comfortably pay the existing fare. Nearly three in 10 respondents also said they earn too much to qualify for the city’s half-price Fair Fares program, despite facing difficulty covering transportation costs.
The Community Service Society is calling on New York City to broaden Fair Fares eligibility by raising the income limit from 200% to 300% of the federal poverty level.
The office of state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has offered another approach, arguing that the MTA could limit future fare pressure by bringing its spending more closely in line with operating revenue.
In a report issued Oct. 22, the state’s fiscal watchdog warned that the MTA could face a budget shortfall approaching $900 million by 2030, even with two expected fare increases in 2027 and 2029 included in its projections.
“While these budget pressures are real, measures to address them are at least partly in the control of the Authority,” the report said. It urged the agency to pursue fare evasion more aggressively and control expenses, particularly overtime. Overtime costs reached nearly $1.5 billion last year and were on track to exceed that figure by September, according to recent MTA board documents.
The comptroller’s office also encouraged the authority to continue seeking savings in discretionary areas of its budget, where officials have the greatest flexibility to reduce costs.
At the same time, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber and Gov. Kathy Hochul are turning to Washington for additional financial support following the Democrats’ takeover of both chambers of Congress.
“Elections swing on more than just a few key issues, but voters have made themselves clear: they’re fed up with the federal government’s assault on cities,” the MTA wrote in a policy brief updated soon after the election. The document outlined several ways the authority wants federal lawmakers to help fund its operations and capital needs.
Lieber has said federal funding could allow the MTA to “replace” some money currently provided by New York City and the state. However, an MTA spokesperson declined to specify how much funding could be substituted or which sources would be affected.
Asked Friday whether federal assistance could reduce or eliminate the need for a fare increase, the spokesperson did not directly answer.
“The MTA has small, predictable fare changes below the cost of inflation and labor costs,” the spokesperson said.
