The MTA board is poised to pass a 10% discount on monthly tickets for Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North trips that start and end within the five boroughs as part of a pilot program that would go into effect on July 1, a day after congestion pricing is set to launch.
The pilot program, which is expected to be voted on Tuesday, would likely last for about a year as transit leaders weigh whether to make it permanent.
As outlined by the MTA, the discounts would vary between $14 and $22 on the LIRR, depending on which fare zones straphangers travel through. For example, a monthly LIRR pass between Jamaica, Queens, and Penn Station would drop from $220 to $198.
Monthly discounts on Metro-North trains would range from $6.50 to $19.75, depending on travel zones. Commuters riding from Grand Central to Yankee Stadium would see their fare drop from $199.75 to $180, for instance.
More express bus service is also coming to some riders.
The increased service plan calls for one Manhattan-bound trip on the BM2, a Queens- and Brooklyn-bound trip on the BM5, a Manhattan-bound trip on the SIM1C, a Staten Island-bound trip on the SIM4C, and two peak direction trips each on the SIM23 and SIM34.
This is in addition to more than 12 million in the state budget for boosting five other express routes.
“I would just say for us, this is belt and suspenders. You’ve often heard us say we have [a] capacity on both the subway system and the bus system, largely because of COVID. But this is an opportunity for us to continue to improve express bus service in these corridors,” New York City Transit President Richard Davey said.
Transit officials have signaled that the discount is part of an effort to entice New Yorkers to leave their vehicles at home and opt for public transportation.
The program will be funded through the state’s Outer Borough Transportation Account, but it is not clear how much the new fare discounts will cost the MTA.