Staten Island, N.Y. — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority recently voted to approve a fare and toll increase set to begin in 2026. The transit agency will also phase out MetroCards and permanently move to the OMNY payment system next year.

Below are six takeaways about the changes riders can expect in 2026.

Fare hikes approved

The MTA board unanimously approved a plan to increase fares, with the changes set to take effect in January 2026. The base fare for subways and local buses will rise from $2.90 to $3.

Bridge tolls increase

Tolls on major crossings, such as the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, will increase by around 7.5% at the beginning of next year as well.

For E-ZPass users, the Verrazzano toll will increase from $6.94 to $7.46. The Staten Island resident discount will remain in place with the toll increase, and anyone enrolled in the program will see their toll bill increase from $3.90 to $4.19.

MetroCard to be phased out

As part of the system’s full transition to OMNY, the MTA will stop selling the MetroCard in January 2026. At a later point that year, the MTA will no longer accept MetroCards, though the agency didn’t provide an exact date when. Around the same time, local buses will also stop accepting coins as a form of fare payment.

Changes to unlimited ride options

The traditional pre-paid seven- and 30-day unlimited MetroCard passes will be eliminated as the system moves exclusively to OMNY. They will be replaced by a seven-day fare cap, which allows for free rides for the remainder of a seven-day period after paying for 12 individual rides.

Express bus users get a fare cap

The fare-capping system will be expanded to include express bus commuters, allowing them to ride for free after spending $67 within a single seven-day period. The base fare for an express bus trip will also see a slight increase, rising from $7 to $7.25.

Cost of new OMNY cards will double

Next year, the price for purchasing a new OMNY card will increase from its current cost of $1 to $2 “by mid-2026,” according to the MTA.

(A draft of this story was generated using AI. It was reviewed, edited and approved by Advance/SILive.com staff.)

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