By Jill Colvin, DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — 30-day MetroCards could jump to as much as $125 under proposed fare hikes unveiled by the MTA on Monday.
The authority is considering several combinations of fare hikes for subway and bus riders.
Under the first proposal, the base fare would rise from $2.25 to $2.50, a 30-day unlimited fare would jump from $104 to $112 and a seven-day card would jump from $29 to $30.
Under the second proposal, a single ride would increase from $2.25 to $2.50, but the bonus that riders receive when they put $10 on their cards would be eliminated. The 30-day unlimited fare would jump from $104 to $109 and a seven-day card would remain unchanged.
Under the third and fourth proposals, the base fare would remain unchanged, at $2.25.
However, under the third proposal, the bonus fare would be reduced by five percent, the 30-day unlimited would rise to $125 and the seven-day would rise to $34.
The fourth proposal would eliminate the bonus on pay-per-ride cards, 30-day unlimited MetroCards would rise to $119 and the 7-day MetroCards would rise to $32.
Each of the proposals is intended to generate approximately $277 million in additional revenue a year, said MTA Chair Joseph Lhota, who noted that the MTA board will also have the option to choose another combination.
"We have to really weigh one against the other," Lhota said.
The MTA also intends to add a new $1 surcharge to the purchase of all new MetroCards, to encourage more people to recycle.
The hikes would also impact the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North and MTA bridges.
Under the proposal, LIRR and Metro-North rides would jump by 8.19 percent to 9.31 percent a ticket, depending on how far commuters are traveling.
The tolls on most bridges, including the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge (formerly the Triborough), the Throgs Neck Bridge, the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge, and the Queens Tunnel would jump from $4.80 to $5.30 with an E-ZPASS, and from $6.50 to $7.50 without one.
The toll on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge would jump from $9.60 to $10.60 with an E-ZPASS and $13.00 to $15.000 without one for non-Staten Island residents. Staten Islanders would pay $6.36 instead of $5.76 for a round-trip with an E-ZPass, and $8.52 instead of $7.72 without one.
The Henry Hudson Bridge toll would rise from $2.20 to $2.43 with an E-ZPAss pass, and from $4.00 to $5.00 when paying by mail.
Fares on express buses are also set to increase, with several different plans under proposal, including one that would increase the base fare from $5.50 to $6.00.
The announcement kicks off a public review process that will include eight public hearings across the city, ahead of a Dec. 19 vote by the MTA.
The fare hike is expected to go into effect on March 1, 2013.
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