The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board voted last Wednesday to increase ticket fares for the Long Island Rail Road’s weekly and monthly passes nearly 4 percent.
The MTA capped increases on monthly tickets at $15 and weekly tickets at $6.75.
The increases will take effect on March 19, officials said.
“The MTA is focused on keeping our fares affordable for low-income riders and frequent riders, and on how we can keep necessary scheduled increases as small and as predictable as possible,” MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast said.
Monthly fares from Zone 1 stations, which include Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal, Long Island City and Hunterspoint Avenue, to Zone 4 will increase from $252 to $261.
Zone 4 includes the Port Washington, Hempstead, West Hempstead and Far Rockaway branches, as well as the stops along the Oyster Bay and Babylon lines, such as Mineola and East Williston.
Monthly fares from Zone 1 to Zone 7, which include stops along the Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma and Babylon branches, will increase from $287 to $297, and fares from Zone 1 to Zone 9 will increase from $338 to $350.
Fares from Zone 1 to Zone 10, which include branches that stretch out east from Port Jefferson and Ronkokoma to Greenpoint and Montauk will rise from $377 to $391.
Weekly fares in the aforementioned zones rose about $4 and daily fares rose less than $1.
“Keeping fares and tolls down was possible because of the continued operational efficiencies and ways we have reduced costs while adding service and capacity along our busiest corridors, most recently with the opening of the new Second Avenue subway,” Prendergast said.
Certain one-way fares will increase more because fares must occur in 25-cent increments, officials said.
“For these one-way fares, any increase greater than 6 percent would be not more than 50 cents per ride,” an MTA press release said.
Over 89 million people rode the LIRR in 2016 — a record number and a 1.9 percent increase from last year, the LIRR’s statistics show.
Subway riders will see their 30-day and 7-day MetroCard fares increased, too, with the 30-day fare being bumped up from $116.50 to $121, and the 7-day pass increasing from $31 to $32.
The Subway’s $2.75 base fare and $3 single ride fare remained unchanged after weeks of speculation that it would once again increase.
The board also voted to increase the E-Z Pass fare for the Queens Midtown Tunnel from $5.54 to $5.76, and cash/tolls by mail from $8 to $8.50.
The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the Henry Hudson Bridge and the Cross Bay Veterans Memorial Bridge all saw slight increases, too.
