MTA fare and toll changes 2026: what New Yorkers pay

MTA fare and toll changes 2026 will reshape what riders pay across New York City Transit, the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and MTA Bridges & Tunnels starting January 4, 2026, as outlined in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s official notice. These adjustments follow an MTA Board vote on September 30, 2025, which approved a package of fare, toll, and ticketing policy changes, later summarized in an MTA Board press release.

The 2025 MTA Operating Budget, adopted in December 2024, initially assumed that the next MTA fare and toll changes January 4 2026 would instead arrive as an increase in March 2025. The agency ultimately chose to push implementation to January 2026 so that the new fares line up with the full roll-out of tap-and-go on subways and buses. In MTA’s view, raising New York City Transit fares, commuter-rail fares, and tolls in smaller, regular steps helps track inflation and avoids rare, sharp jumps that would be harder for riders to absorb.

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New York City Transit fares and subway fare increase 2026

As part of the New York City subway fare increase 2026 package, the base fare for subways, local buses, and Access-A-Ride will rise by 10 cents, from $2.90 to $3.00. The reduced fare on these services will also go up, from $1.45 to $1.50. At the same time, discount rules themselves remain unchanged: seniors, people with disabilities, students, and Paratransit Zero Fare customers will keep the same discount categories they have now.

A key change for New York City Transit fares is that the automatic rolling 7-day fare cap for unlimited rides will become a permanent feature and will work in tandem with OMNY. Under this system, riders pay the standard fare for their first 12 trips within any seven-day period; every ride after that in the same window is free. With the new base fare in place, a full-fare rider will spend no more than $35 in a week on subway and local bus travel, while a reduced-fare rider will be capped at $17.50 over the same period.

Express bus fares will also increase. The base express bus fare will move from $7.00 to $7.25, and the reduced fare from $3.50 to $3.60. Because express routes typically cover longer distances, use the highway network, and connect neighborhoods with limited transit options to Manhattan, they operate with coach-style buses and carry higher fares than local bus routes.

For regular express bus users, the MTA is adding a second automatic rolling fare cap for unlimited rides. With this cap, express bus riders will pay no more than $67 within any seven-day period for unlimited travel on express buses, local buses, and the subway combined.

Other fare instruments are being adjusted as well. The Single Ride ticket will increase from $3.25 to $3.50. The fee for a new OMNY card will rise to $2 once MetroCard is no longer accepted for fare payment later in 2026. OMNY cards are designed to be more durable and can last for up to five years; as previously covered by Railway Supply, this transition effectively marks the phase-out of MetroCard in favor of tap-and-go payments. Riders who prefer to prepay can still load $35 onto an OMNY card to obtain unlimited 7-day travel, and any unused value will roll over, so customers no longer face a “use-it-or-lose-it” situation. Detailed prices are listed in the New York City Transit fare tables.

LIRR and Metro-North ticket changes and CityTicket fares

On both the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, monthly and weekly tickets will rise by up to 4.5%. Even after this increase, monthly ticket prices will remain below their pre-COVID levels and will not exceed $500. All other ticket types on these railroads will go up by as much as 8%, forming part of the broader LIRR and Metro-North ticket changes for 2025–2026.

CityTicket and Far Rockaway Ticket fares will also move higher. Peak CityTicket will increase from $7.00 to $7.25, and Off-Peak CityTicket will go from $5.00 to $5.25. These revised prices will likewise apply to the Far Rockaway Ticket. At the same time, all one-way tickets within city fare zones will be aligned with CityTicket prices, so no rider will pay more than $7.25 in the peak or $5.25 off-peak for a one-way trip within New York City.

Another important element of these LIRR and Metro-North ticket changes is that Peak CityTicket and the Far Rockaway Ticket will become permanent fare products rather than temporary offerings. There will be no fare increases on West of Hudson lines.

The surcharge for tickets purchased onboard from a conductor will increase by $2. An equivalent surcharge will be added for tickets bought or activated onboard using the TrainTime mobile app. Riders can find the full breakdown of CityTicket and Far Rockaway Ticket fares, along with other products, in the LIRR and Metro-North fare tables.

Fare policies, OMNY 7-day rolling cap and new Day Pass

Alongside the price changes, the MTA is revising fare policies on subways, buses, and the commuter railroads. On New York City Transit, the automatic 7-day rolling fare cap lets customers ride free after paying for 12 trips within a seven-day period, so they receive the benefit of an unlimited option without having to prepay for it. This OMNY 7-day rolling fare cap with unlimited rides is now a permanent part of the system.

Because fare capping will be available to all subway, local bus, and express bus riders, several traditional MetroCard products will be discontinued. The 7-Day Unlimited, 30-Day Unlimited, and Express Bus Plus Unlimited Ride MetroCards will no longer be sold. Riders who still prefer to pay in advance can load $35 onto an OMNY card and receive unlimited 7-day travel, with any remaining value on the card rolling over instead of expiring.

Tap-and-go payment will be required for all subway, local bus, and express bus rides. At the same time, customers will still be able to use cash and coins at card vending machines in subway stations and at 2,700 local businesses that sell OMNY cards.

On the commuter railroads, new ticketing rules will be introduced as a pilot program aimed at simplifying and speeding up fare collection. All one-way paper and mobile tickets will have a unified validity period: they will be valid until 4 a.m. on the day after purchase. For example, a one-way ticket bought at 10 a.m. on a Monday will remain valid until 4 a.m. on Tuesday. Customers will still need to activate mobile tickets before boarding.

A new Day Pass for unlimited travel will replace the traditional Round-Trip ticket and will become a central element of the Day Pass for unlimited travel on LIRR and Metro-North. The Day Pass will be valid on the day of purchase until 4 a.m. the following day. On weekdays, it will cost 10% less than two peak one-way tickets, while on weekends it will be priced the same as two off-peak one-way tickets. Unlimited Day Pass options will also be available for CityTicket and Far Rockaway ticket holders, priced at $14.50 in the peak and $10.50 in the off-peak.

A new “pay-as-you-go” discount will be offered to mobile customers. After a rider completes 10 peak or off-peak trips within a 14-day period, they will receive an 11th one-way trip of the same type (peak or off-peak) free within that same 14-day window.

Reduced-fare products will remain consistently available. Seniors, people with disabilities, and Medicare recipients will be able to use reduced-fare options all day, including during the morning peak period.

To make family trips more affordable, the Family Fare policy will allow children aged 5–17 to travel for $1 each when accompanied by a fare-paying adult, even in the morning peak. This is intended to help families use the commuter railroads for school, sporting events, and recreational activities at a lower cost.

The MTA is also tightening rules around onboard ticket purchases. The surcharge for tickets bought onboard—whether from a conductor or via the TrainTime app while on the train—will increase by $2. Customers who repeatedly purchase or activate mobile tickets onboard, rather than before boarding, will be subject to this surcharge after an escalating series of warnings.

MTA bridges and tunnels 7.5% toll increase

Finally, MTA bridges and tunnels 7.5% toll increase will apply across all Bridges & Tunnels facilities. Toll rates at every facility will rise by 7.5%, and this change will affect both E-ZPass users and those billed through Tolls by Mail. Existing toll discount programs for residents of Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island will remain in effect. Updated toll schedules are available in the Bridges and Tunnels toll tables, and the MTA has provided a related fares and tolls update to its Board with further detail on how these MTA fare and toll changes 2026 will be implemented.

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