Subways and busesFare for most riders on subways and local, limited, and Select Bus Service buses: $2.90. Express buses cost $7. Tap to pay your fare with your contactless credit/debit card, smartphone, or OMNY card, or pay with a MetroCard.
The base fare for subway, local buses and paratransit increased 15 cents, from $2.75 to $2.90. The 7-Day Unlimited Ride pass increased from $33 to $34, and the 30-Day Unlimited Ride pass increased from $127 to $132.
The M102 bus line — a line that runs from the East Village to Harlem with 8,000 daily weekday riders — won the 17th Annual Pokey Award, given to the slowest local bus route in the city by transit advocates with the New York Public Interest Research Group's Straphangers Campaign and TransitCenter.
MTA bus speeds were found to be among the lowest in the nation — and rarely average above 9 mph. By comparison, the average human walks at about 3 mph (and maybe faster for New Yorkers), and the average man runs at 8 mph.
For the driver to stop the bus where you want to get off, push the tape strip located above and beside the windows. You need to signal your driver about one block before your desired stop. The bus will stop at the route's next stop. Stops are every 2-3 blocks, except for limiteds.
The shortest is the 1.3-mile B42 route that connects Canarsie, Brooklyn, to a subway station and bus transfer hub. The longest is the S78's 19.5-mile trip across Staten Island with 117 stops. The average route is six miles. The transportation authority spends $565,000 annually to operate the B39.
Cost per swipe: $2.90.You put a dollar value on the card and pay $2.90 at the beginning of each trip. The minimum balance for new cards is $5.80, the cost of two swipes. A new card costs $1. You can combine time and value on the same MetroCard.
Cost: $34 (7-day) or $132 (30-day). You have unlimited swipes on the subway and local buses for either 7 or 30 days. Your MetroCard can only hold one Unlimited Ride refill at a time.
Once you've taken 12 paid rides in a seven-day period, you can ride free for the rest of the week. Here's an example: A rider uses the subway to get to and from work, and takes it on weekends to go into Manhattan to meet friends.
About bus faresOMNY is accepted on all New York City buses. Fares can also be paid with a MetroCard, coins, or SingleRide ticket. Some buses are fare-free: Q70-LaGuardia Link to and from LaGuardia Airport.
Tap your contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, or wearable device at the OMNY reader as you enter. On local, limited, and express buses, you must enter and use the reader at the front door. On SBS buses, enter at any door and use the reader there.
You can use cash, credit, or debit cards to make your purchase. New York City subway fares are $2.75 per trip. For visitors staying more than a couple of days you can buy a one week unlimited MetroCard for $33 or an unlimited monthly MetroCard for $127.00.