{"id":212368,"date":"2025-09-09T08:37:21","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T08:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/212368\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T08:37:21","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T08:37:21","slug":"heres-how-to-commute-for-free-or-cheaply-in-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/212368\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s how to commute for free or cheaply in NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"person\t\t\t<\/p>\n

An MTA bus arrives at a stop in Jamaica, Queens.<\/p>\n

Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon<\/p>\n

Even though the cost of almost everything seems to be going up in NYC<\/a>, there are still plenty of ways for New Yorkers to commute for free or at discounted costs.<\/p>\n

From reduced fares for the needy to free boat rides, there are many ways to travel throughout the Big Apple without spending a lot of money.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

CityTicket<\/p>\n

People living within NYC can have access to commuter train deals that save them money, most notably, through the CityTicket program<\/a>. Anyone traveling on the MTA\u2019s Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) or Metro-North Railroad can travel between stops within NYC stops using a CityTicket for $5 during off-peak hours or $7 during peak hours.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In other words, New Yorkers can use the LIRR and Metro-North, even if they are not heading into the city\u2019s surrounding counties, without paying full cost.\n<\/p>\n

While CityTicket has existed in NYC since 2003 for weekend travel, the MTA expanded the program in 2022 to all off-peak trains, followed by another expansion in 2023 to include peak travel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

According to Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose office runs the MTA, customers have saved more than $100 million since March 2022 by using CityTicket to travel within NYC on the LIRR or Metro-North Railroad. The savings are measured against the cost of regular one-way peak and off-peak tickets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years, residents of the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens had high-quality rail service right at their doorsteps, but the fare was just too high. Not anymore,\u201d Hochul said in a press release. \u201cBy making LIRR and Metro-North service more affordable for city riders, we have welcomed millions of new customers, getting New Yorkers out of their cars and onto fast, reliable rail service in and out of Manhattan.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"An LIRR train at Atlantic Terminal on Feb. 27, 2023.File Photo by Ben Brachfeld<\/p>\n

Lisa Daglian, executive director of the MTA\u2019s Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC), said CityTicket has \u201cimproved the commute of millions\u201d of people for decades.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen PCAC first suggested it in 2001, we knew CityTicket would be transformative, but what we\u2019re seeing is only possible with Governor Hochul\u2019s ongoing support,\u201d she said. \u201cCityTicket saves time and money, and its permanence is a testament to its importance. We\u2019re looking forward to making CityTicket even better with a weekly option that includes a transfer to subways and buses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fair Fares<\/p>\n

Commuting for New Yorkers in need can put a major dent in their wallets. But the city\u2019s Fair Fares program is available to offer discount subway and bus fares for those who are eligible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fair Fares<\/a> provides half-priced rides to low-income public transit users who live at 145% of the federal poverty level. That number at this level in NYC is $22,692 for a single person or $46,617 for a family of four.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, there is a movement to increase eligibility by raising the threshold of the federal poverty level.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cFair Fares has been a crucial lifeline of mobility and affordability in a city that has become far too expensive for many,\u201d Brian Fritsch, associate director of PCAC, told amNewYork. \u201cYet its current eligibility threshold is too low for many of the New Yorkers who need it the most, including many minimum wage workers. Expanding the program to at least 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and to the LIRR and Metro-North in the city are overdue steps to making NYC more fair and equitable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Currently, a single bus or subway ride is $2.90, but the cost is expected to go to $3 in January.\n<\/p>\n

The Staten Island Ferry
\n\"AA Staten Island Ferry boat at St. George.Benjamin Kanter\/Mayoral Photo Office<\/p>\n

The Staten Island Ferry<\/a> is a free service provided by the NYC Department of Transportation. It travels between Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Lower Manhattan and St. George on Staten Island\u2019s North Shore.<\/p>\n

The historic ferry is not only a free way to commute, but a great way to see many iconic NYC sites, including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and breathtaking views of New York Harbor and the Lower Manhattan skyline.<\/p>\n

Off-peak hours are ideal for enjoying a ferry sightseeing tour. Rush-hour trips are usually packed with New Yorkers commuting to and from work.\n<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not the best time to take a leisurely ride on the ferry,\u201d the ferry\u2019s website states. \u201cBringing large tourist groups on board during these trips will make it difficult for visitors to enjoy our great city and enjoy the ride. Please plan accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Staten Island Railway<\/p>\n

Part of the MTA\u2019s NYC Transit, the Staten Island Railway is free for nearly all of its 21 stops throughout the borough. Commuters only pay for rides starting or terminating at the St. George and Tompkinsville stations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Free Q70 Bus to LaGuardia Airport<\/p>\n

Known as the LaGuardia Link, this bus<\/a> makes fewer stops, has luggage racks and more seating to accommodate travelers to LaGuardia Airport. <\/p>\n

Riders can connect to the Q70 from the subway at the Woodside-61st Street on the 7 line and the 74th Street-Broadway-Roosevelt Avenue station on the 7, E, F, M and R lines. Long Island Rail Road commuters can also access the Q70 at the Woodside station.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An MTA bus arrives at a stop in Jamaica, Queens. Photo by Barbara Russo-Lennon Even though the cost…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":65887,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5122],"tags":[5229,116276,116277,12094,116278,405,403,5226,5225,5228,5227,46352,11900,116279,67,586,132,5230,68,2969],"class_list":{"0":"post-212368","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-york","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-cityticket","10":"tag-fair-fares","11":"tag-gov-kathy-hochul","12":"tag-low-cost-travel-in-nyc","13":"tag-new-york","14":"tag-new-york-city","15":"tag-newyork","16":"tag-newyorkcity","17":"tag-ny","18":"tag-nyc","19":"tag-pcac","20":"tag-transit","21":"tag-traveling-in-nyc","22":"tag-united-states","23":"tag-united-states-of-america","24":"tag-unitedstates","25":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","26":"tag-us","27":"tag-usa"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115173434827853364","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212368","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212368"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/212368\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=212368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=212368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}