New York City is planning to increase subway and bus fares under the MTA by $3, officials announced during the monthly meeting. The base fare was originally scheduled to increase next month; however, it was delayed by six months to January 2026. But the transition to the new OMNY tap and pay system delayed the normal fare increase schedule.
The MTA also announced that with full transition to OMNY, it would also eliminate the 30-day unlimited fare option. It will only leave the seven-day fare cap to get unlimited rides. NYC Mayor Eric Adams is a big opponent of the fare hike. He called the proposed fare hike “offensive to hard-working New Yorkers” without any meaningful improvement to the service.
The new fare will also increase the cost of the fare capping program. The fare capping program is the amount riders can spend on subway and bus fares over seven days. The MTA fare hike increases the cap to $36, up from $34 now, so long as they tap to pay with the same smartphone or credit card. After riders spend $36, they’ll get unlimited rides for the rest of the seven days.
How Will the MTA Fare Hike Affect Commuters?
The MTA services, including subway and buses, serve more than 6 million riders every day in 2025. Subway ridership is up 8% compared to 2024 and has grown 31% since 2022. Bus ridership also increased by up to 12% in 2025.
MTA services are more than just transportation. It serves as the lifeline to NYC. The MTA Capital Plan 2025-2029 is projected to generate $106 billion in economic output and support more than 72,000 jobs annually. Every $1 billion spent by the MTA supports 5,900 jobs, and the benefits extend to the entire state.
The MTA fare hike will have both direct and indirect impacts on commuters. Daily travel will become more expensive for commuters, especially those who don’t qualify for reduced fares. Mayor Eric Adams and other opponents have been vocal in opposing the hike, citing the increased burden for low and middle-income New York residents.
Reports show that many commuters will absorb the MTA fare hike. However, for those living paycheck to paycheck, even a $0.10 increase per ride can add up. This is especially true throughout hundreds of rides each year.
Mayor Resists Fare Hike Amid Board Constraints
While Mayor Eric Adams is a fierce critic of the MTA fare hike, he lacks support on the MTA board. Adams is down a representative on the board, giving him one fewer voice to protest the fare hike. Meera Joshi resigned in June from her post as one of the city’s four MTA board members.
However, the odds of Adams making any changes to the MTA fare hike through the city’s representatives on the board are even worse without Joshi’s successor in place.
John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany, questioned Mayor Adams’s intentions regarding the fourth MTA member. According to Kaehny, Adam had four months to replace Joshi on the MTA board and get a nominee confirmed by the Senate. He added that maybe Adam didn’t really care, or his administration is dysfunctional. Both could be true.
However, even if Joshi’s successor was in place, Adams has very slim odds of blocking the MTA fare hike. The MTA board has 23 members, four of whom are recommended by the mayor, while the Governor of the state has six appointees.
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