This past Sunday, the MTA’s latest fare hike went into effect as follows:
Even though this is only* the MTA’s fourth fare hike in five years, it literally feels like the cost to travel on public transit goes up every other week. However, the one sensible thing to come out of this is the introduction of a $1 fee for new MetroCards which will hopefully discourage riders from haphazardly discarding their empty cards, which causes scenes like the one below.
*The use of the word “only” here makes it seem like four hikes in five years is no big deal. But, it is. It actually hurts commuters who are getting paid less and less each year and can barely afford to get to work. I remember when I first started working at my last job a few years ago, I had to pinch pennies in order to buy a 30-day unlimited at the beginning of each month. And even though I don’t ride the subway as much now, I know how painful a few extra dollars added to your expenses can be.
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Photo: Gothamist