The MTA's latest fare hike kicks in for subway and bus riders this Sunday, March 3rd. Yesterday we laid out everything you need to know about the hike, but our inbox is still flooding with questions. And we have answers! So let's dive into the mailbag:
"If i have a 2.25 Metrocard, will it allow me to swipe on the turnstile for the train or i have to change and add a quarter?"
The whole point of a fare hike is that the fare is hiked. Which means that starting 12:01 a.m. Sunday morning you will have to add a quarter to your MetroCard.
"I bought an unlimited MetroCard on February 24th, and have been using it every day since. Is there something I need to do with the card in order for the card to actually be valid for a month?"
You don't have to do a thing. You paid for 30-days of unlimited rides and 30-days of unlimited rides is what you'll get. Enjoy them!
"So I work for a company that gives counselors in the field $4.50 MetroCards. After the Mar. 3 hike, how do they use the cards they still have not used?"
If you want to make those cards good for two rides, you'll need to add .50 cents to them. Or you can use the card once and have a pretty piece of plastic worth $2.
"What exactly do you mean when you say: Unlimited MetroCards purchased on or before March 2 must be activated by Monday, March 11?"
The MTA doesn't want you to stockpile cheaper unlimited MetroCards before the fare hike kicks in. But they understand that some people buy their unlimited cards well before they activate them (which happen the first time you swipe in a turnstile). So they've compromised. If you buy an unlimited card today you have until March 11 to activate it and get your full money's worth. If you wait longer though, it will lose value. 30-day cards activated after March 11 will only last through April 9. 7-day cards will only last through March 17.
Got more questions about the fare hike? Shoot us a line at [email protected]—but maybe check our fare hike primer first?
