Discounted New York MTA Passes Coming Next Year

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced that discounted MetroCards will be available to low-income riders in January. The 7-day and 30-day transit passes will cost half of the regular price.

“The city is paying for the subsidized fare program, phase one of which will cost the city about $106 million. When fully implemented, the plan is expected to cost the city $212 million annually,” reports Dan Rivoli and Michael Gartland.

The MTA says it wants to make transit accessible to all travelers, but transit advocates are concerned that the passes will be the only available discount. They say that some riders might struggle with the cost of a weekly or monthly pass, even with the discount, and that many prefer to pay the single-ride fare. City officials say that starting with the passes allowed them to put the program into place faster, and they will make adjustments in the future, if necessary.