MTA vote on LIRR fare, toll increases scheduled for Wednesday

Long Island commuters will know on Wednesday whether they’ll soon pay more for their LIRR tickets.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board is set to vote at its monthly meeting Wednesday on a proposal to raise fares by about 4%, including on the Long Island Rail Road.

The cost of monthly tickets would be capped at $500. LIRR officials have noted that, even with the increase, monthly passes will still cost less than they did in 2019, because the railroad cut prices by 10% last year.

Tolls at MTA bridges and tunnels would rise by an average of 5.5% and as much as 10% for those that don't have E-ZPass. On New York City subways and buses, the cost of a single trip would increase to $2.90, from the current $2.75.

The new rates would take effect around Labor Day.

The fare hike — the first since 2019 — comes after the MTA twice postponed scheduled increases in 2021 and 2022, and despite the recently passed state budget including an additional $1.1 billion in tax revenues for the transit agency. Without the boost in funding, the MTA was projecting annual deficits of up to $2 billion, largely caused by declining ridership since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’ve mitigated the deficits, but the risks remain,” said MTA chief financial officer Kevin Willens, who listed among those risks future ridership growth, growing labor costs, and an uncertain economy.

The MTA originally proposed a 5.5% fare increase — the highest in a decade — but dialed it back after receiving the additional state aid.

The new operating aid, combined with an expected $1 billion in annual toll revenue beginning next year from the MTA’s recently-approved congestion pricing plan, puts the MTA on stronger financial footing than it has been in years. But, MTA officials have said regularly-scheduled, modest fare increases are essential to address growing costs, and to avoid larger hikes in the future.

Willens confirmed Monday that the agency is eyeing another 4% rate increase in 2025, and again in 2027.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.