Metrocard Prices Will Go Up Again In March 2015
The New York Times reports that prices are set to rise on subway and bus fares starting in March of 2015. Which, you know, it’s not like we ever know what to do with our masses of disposable income anyway, so it might as well go to as smoothly run an organization as the MTA anyway, right? Uh, right. Sure. Absolutely.
Anyway. While the exact details of the fare hike are yet to be determined, the Times reports that there are a couple of outcomes that riders can expect. One proposal would allow the MTA to “raise the base fare for subways and buses by 25 cents to $2.75, while increasing the bonus on pay-per-ride MetroCards to 11 percent from 5 percent,” while another “would keep the base fare at $2.50, but reduce the current pay-per-ride bonus.” But no matter which of those plans go into effect, what will definitely be happening is a hike in the cost of weekly and monthly Metrocards, with weekly cards going up to $31 (from $30) and monthly to $116.50 (from $112).
This might not sound like that much money (or maybe it does? what even is money anymore, at least in this city, where rundown houses on practically unusable lots sell for a million dollars?), but it is worth noting that it is the 4th fare hike in the last 7 years, and that another one is due to go into effect in 2017. All of which is to say, riding a bike has never been more appealing. Oh, what’s that you say? It’s miserable and rainy today and we’re about to enter a bound-to-be-frigid winter, making cycling anywhere near intolerable? Cool. Right. Happy Monday, everyone!
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