The MTA board approved a plan Wednesday to implement a pilot program to cap fares for OMNY users.
Starting in March, the pilot program will establish a maximum transit fare per week — if a rider spends spend at least $33 on 12 rides over a 7-day period, everything after that will be free.
The program will essentially mirror the weekly unlimited MetroCard, which costs $33, for users of the OMNY tap-and-go system.
“Why should people have to make that decision when they walk up to the subway for the first time on Monday — ‘how many rides am I going to take this week,’ MTA Acting Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said in an interview on “Mornings On 1.”
“The main thing is equity,” Lieber continued. “If there’s somebody who doesn’t want to outlay the $33 bucks at the beginning of the week — for some people, that’s an issue — they can just tap and go, and when they hit 12 rides, they’ll start to get free rides. It’s simple, takes advantage of the new technology, it’s great for everybody.”
Lieber also talked about the importance of riders feeling safe in the subway system, saying police presence is key.
“I’m going to speak to the new commissioner when she gets in office. We really need the police more visible in the system. There are plenty of police, they need to be on the platforms, they need to be on the trains, so riders feel safe,” Lieber said.
The MTA is also getting $500 million in funding for the new rail line for Metro-North trains to serve Connecticut and Westchester.
Instead of going to Grand Central, the trains would go to Penn Station. The new line would also serve stops in the Bronx.
The MTA is also planning to put $432 million toward fixing up Amtrak-owned tunnels under the East River that were damaged during Hurricane Sandy.