N.Y.C. Subway and Bus Fares Are Likely to Increase to $3 in January 2026

New York|N.Y.C. Subway and Bus Fares Are Likely to Increase to $3 in January 2026

The sunsetting of the MetroCard at the end of this year will most likely be followed by a fare increase for New York City’s subways and buses, with fares rising to $3.00 from $2.90. It would be the first such increase since August 2023.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that operates the city’s transit system, announced the plan at a board meeting on Wednesday. The board will vote on the proposal after public hearings this fall and the changes would take effect in January.

The agency had originally planned to raise fares earlier this year, but transit officials decided to first transition to OMNY, a new tap-and-go payment system, and to retire the MetroCard, which will be phased out at the end of December after more than three decades. (Sales of the MetroCard will conclude at the end of the year, but the cards will still be accepted into 2026.)

Janno Lieber, the head of the transit authority, defended the new fares during the Wednesday meeting, arguing that an increase of less than 4 percent was reasonable compared with the fast-rising costs of other services in the city. He cited a state comptroller report showing that the price of housing in New York City has risen 68 percent since 2018, while transit costs rose 16 percent in the same period.

“Transit is one of the few things that makes New York affordable, and we’re keeping it that way,” Mr. Lieber said.

The proposed increase would also make it more expensive to reach the M.T.A.’s weekly fare cap, which makes rides free after the first 12 trips in a week. The cap would rise to $36 from $34.