LIRR ticket prices increase with new MTA plan

Fare hikes on the Long Island Railroad began Sunday.

News 12 Staff

Apr 21, 2019, 1:03 PM

Updated 2,042 days ago

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Fare hikes on the Long Island Railroad began Sunday.
The exact increase in prices for the LIRR depends on the zone, but according to the MTA, the maximum fare hike will be 3.85%.
Most Long Islanders will pay more than $300 for a monthly ticket. Those in western Nassau County are the exception -- they're still paying under $300. Commuters from Zone 10, places like Ronkonkoma, Bay Shore and Kings Park, will have to pay more than $400 per month. Anyone traveling from the East End will now have to pay $500.
The price increases were approved by the MTA board in February.
Under the new plan, riders will also have to pay more to use any of the MTA's bridges and tunnels. That went into effect last month.
Subway fees in New York City also jumped on Easter Sunday. The monthly MetroCard jumped up from $121 to $127.
The MTA says it needs this additional revenue to meet rising costs, achieve a balanced budget and provide safe and reliable service.
But some commuters News 12 spoke with said the service isn't all that reliable to begin with, and they're wondering if the fare hike will do any good.
"I see a lot of delays," says Lori Konikoff. "We have the app for the MTA and every day there's something going on. A delay or something, and you're paying all this extra money and the service should be better."
This is the second time since March 2017 that LIRR fares have gone up.