The MTA is introducing new benefits and limiting fare increases: the agency has listened to outraged passengers.

New Yorkers have voiced their discontent, and the MTA has listened. It has revised some fare changes, reports timeout.

New Yorkers have won a reversal of some of the MTA's proposed fare changes.

The discussions lasted six weeks, with 1378 appeals received from passengers, activists, and politicians. The board of directors' vote is scheduled for September 30.

What exactly has changed?

The weekly limit for the metro and buses—the same system that allows for free rides after 12 paid trips in seven days—will not increase to $36. The current proposal is to set it at $35.

This increase is less than 3%. It maintains the important threshold of 12 trips, after which the remaining trips per week are "free."

Commuter tickets

Commuter line tickets have also been changed to benefit passengers. Instead of expiring four hours after purchase, all single-color tickets Tickets LIRR and Metro-North tickets—paper or mobile—will be valid until 4:00 a.m. the following day.

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This means that if your dinner is delayed or the train disappears from the board, your ticket will remain valid.

Family tariff

The $1 Family Plan will be expanded to include children up to 17 years old (previously, up to 11 years old). The plan will be valid all day, every day, including during the weekday morning rush hour, when it was previously not available.

For passengers west of the Hudson, the previously proposed 4,4% increase on the Pascack Valley and Port Jervis lines has been cancelled.

General tariff increase and terms

The overall fare and fee increase itself has not been cancelled. Only the implementation schedule has changed. The MTA reports that the systemic increase is now scheduled for January 2026 and is timed to coincide with the launch of full contactless payment (tap-and-go) on subways and buses.

Under the proposed package, the base fare for the metro and local bus will increase from $2,90 to $3.

The weekly limit will be fixed at $35 after 12 paid touches.

The agency notes that it received approximately four times more comments than during the 2023 tariff hike cycle. This likely influenced the adjustments.

If the board of directors approves the amendments today, the passenger discounts will be included in the 2026 fare schedule.