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MetroCard price hikes are going into effect on Sunday

Written by
Clayton Guse
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In January, the MTA board announced its regular set of fare hikes, upsetting any and all New Yorkers who forget that the authority raises its prices every two years. When it's all said and done, the new prices aren't that bad—the increase is the lowest since 2009 (when, you know, we were in a recession). 

On Sunday, the new fares go into effect, and the difference is about the cost of a bagel. 

The base price of a ride for subways and buses is remaining at $2.75. A pay-per-ride bonus will remain in place, making the effective fare as low as $2.62, according to the MTA. The price for unlimited ride passes, however, will see slight increases: 30-day passes will increase from $116.50 to $121, and seven-day passes will go up to $32 from $31. 

In 2016, New York saw its first annual drop in subway ridership since 2009, which has been widely attributed to the 50,000-plus ride sharing cars that now roam the streets of the city. A larger fare increase might have spurred more riders to turn away from public transportation (the MTA board did consider upping the single-ride fare to $3, but retreated on that option).

In any case, get ready to shell out an extra $4.50 for your monthly pass. It could be a whole lot worse. 

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