Transit riders, drivers and politicians had a message for MTA officials Tuesday evening: No fare and toll hikes in 2021.

The agency held the first of eight virtual public hearings this month on proposed increases, which would raise $153 million next year.

What You Need To Know

  • MTA raises fares and tolls every two years, but there is more opposition in the pandemic

  • MTA plans to raise $153 million from price increases

  • MTA has options to raise 4% more fare and toll revenue
  • MTA board must approve all increases

These hikes are on top of devastating service cuts and thousands of jobs eliminated. The MTA is threatening to deal with the massive decline in ridership due to the pandemic, unless there's a federal bailout from Washington.

"Our goal is to minimize impact on New Yorkers in these difficult times," MTA Chairman Pat Foye said. "Still, we fully know that any increase will hurt New Yorkers, especially those in areas that depend on us most.

The MTA, which raises fares and tolls every two years, has many options for raising revenue, including:

  • Increasing the $2.75 base fare to $3 and the Single Ride Ticket to $4.
  • Bringing back the MetroCard bonus, at 7%.
  • Eliminating the seven-day and 30-day unlimited MetroCard passes.

If the $2.75 fare stays flat, the passes would cost more, with a seven-day pass going up to $36, from $33, and the 30-day pass to $139, from $127.

“Seven-day pass, 30-day pass cannot be discontinued," Christopher Greif testified at the hearing. "People with disability or seniors love those."

Another proposal is to increase Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North monthly ticket prices by 4.3% and weekly passes by 5.9%, plus explore flat fares.

Drivers who use EZ Pass could see a toll increase to $6.70.

Also, different prices could be charged, based on the time of day or on Gridlock Alert Days.

Decreasing or nixing bridge discounts for residents is an option, too.

The discount is popular for Staten Islanders who drive over the Verrazzano Bridge.

The discount knocks the $6.12 toll down to $2.75, each way.

"We need to be able to get to work, but we also need to be able to afford to live our lives without being crippled," Dana Koenigsberg, a Staten Island resident who works in Brooklyn, testified.

The MTA board must approve the fare and toll increases, which could go into effect in March.