By Ericka O’Connell, Roosevelt Island Daily
Hi neighbors, Ericka here with a timely heads-up for your wallets. Starting January 4, 2026, the subway and local bus fare is set to rise from $2.90 to $3.00 and the MTA board will vote on final approval this fall after public hearings. It’s the latest in a planned pattern of small, every-other-year increases designed to be “small, stable, and predictable” amid ongoing inflation pressures.
At the same time, the 30-day unlimited pass is being phased out, leaving the seven-day OMNY fare cap as the only unlimited ride option. That cap will rise from $34 to $36, so once you hit that, the rest of the rides that week are free. For express bus riders, there’s a new weekly cap—$67 in rides, then unlimited through the rest of the week.
Mayor Adams hit back, calling it an unfair squeeze on riders already handling the rising cost of living, while MTA officials maintain it’s needed to keep services running including future safety upgrades that benefit us, like our new platform barriers.
Let’s break down how this impacts us on Roosevelt Island: a dime hike might not seem like much per trip, but multiply it across daily commutes, it’s a noticeable pinch. The weekly OMNY cap still helps frequent riders, but without the 30-day pass, monthly budgeting gets trickier. Typed into numbers, folks who had a $132-spot 30-day pass may now pay around $144 via four weekly caps or even more depending on travel habits.
As your neighbor, I get it. This is a tough moment for budgets, especially with tuition, groceries, and housing rising. But if these fare changes help fund the safety and reliability upgrades we’ve been asking for well, that “dime” might just pave the way to fewer delays and a station that runs on more than just good intentions.
Howard Polivy, the Man Who Never Left
There is a particular rhythm to board meetings. Once you have sat through enough of them, they begin to blend together. The agenda appears. The minutes are approved.
