MTA News

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board has voted to approve the lowest fare increase since 2009, when the MTA committed to a biennial schedule for regular increases. The plan increased fares over the next two years by 4 percent – or less than 2 percent annually and less than the rate of inflation. The MTA was able to hold the necessary increases below inflation as a result of the agency’s continued discipline in keeping costs down. The new fares, which take effect March 19, will allow the MTA to continue to provide safe and reliable service.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board has voted to keep the base fare flat for another two years in approving the lowest fare and toll increase since 2009, when the MTA committed to a biennial schedule for regular increases.

The MTA is expanding sleep apnea screening and treatment that began in 2015 with Metro-North Railroad train engineers to Metro-North's conductors, Long Island Rail Road train engineers and conductors, New York City Transit subway train operators and conductors, and bus operators for New York City Transit and the MTA Bus Company, becoming the first public transportation agency to systematically screen employees for obstructive sleep apnea and offer priority, specialized treatment to employees. The program will expand to nearly 20,000 employees.

The Long Island Rail Road is seeing record ridership numbers, carrying 89.3 million customers in 2016, a 1.9% increase over last year and the highest ridership since 1949. The LIRR’s growth continues recent trends in which the LIRR has registered a 1.97% average growth per year over the past 5 years. The railroad’s ridership has grown 10.2% over five years, from 81.0 million in 2011.

The Long Island Rail Road is your best land-based way to visit the 2017 Progressive Insurance® New York Boat Show®, opening at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan on Wednesday, January 25, for a four day run.

MTA opens its first new station for Staten Island Railway on Saturday, January 21.

The MTA is testing two prototypes of powerful – but portable -- track vacuum systems that can be quickly deployed, operated from platforms, and moved easily from one station to the next. The new units are part of the MTA’s ongoing Track Sweep initiative, which is a multi-pronged plan to dramatically reduce the amount of trash on subway tracks, in the process improving the station environment, and reducing track fires and train delays. The prototype units are both powered by Lithium iron phosphate batteries with a battery management system that protects the batteries and load from over current, and both can be moved from station to station on a conventional revenue train.

The MTA’s Weekender: The Way Around Weekend Work for January 14-16

In observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, Metro-North Railroad will operate on an enhanced Saturday schedule on Monday, January 16, 2017, that includes 35 additional trains. The enhanced Saturday service includes 14 extra trains on the Harlem Line, including one additional Wassaic connection, 3 Hudson Line extras, and 15 extra New Haven Line trains offering branch connections. For West of Hudson customers, there will be 3 additional trains on the Port Jervis Line. Off-peak fares apply all day.