Brace yourselves, New Yorkers—your daily commute just got pricier with the subway and bus fare now hitting a flat $3 per ride.

As of this year, the cost for a single trip on New York City’s transit system has climbed by ten cents, a small but stinging bump that reflects the MTA’s struggle with mounting expenses and inflation, as Breitbart reports, with the increase coming amid new Mayor Zohran Mamdani's promises of free rides.

Let’s rewind a bit to see how we got here. Back in 2017, the MTA kept the single-ride fare steady at $2.75 while hiking the price of unlimited passes to balance their books. It was a sly move to avoid the optics of a direct fare increase.

Fare Hikes Through the Years

By 2019, the fare still held at $2.75, but the MTA scrapped the cash value bonuses on MetroCards, effectively squeezing more out of riders without touching the base price.

Then came the aftermath of the COVID-19 crisis, when former Gov. Kathy Hochul stepped in to pause a planned jump to $2.90, a rare moment of relief for strapped commuters.

Fast forward to now, and that relief is history—since 2019, fares have crept up by a total of 25 cents, landing us at this even-dollar milestone of $3.

MTA’s Planned Increases Under Scrutiny

The MTA board had long proposed a pattern of 4% fare hikes every two years to keep up with rising costs, and this latest increase was already in the works before the current city leadership took over.

But let’s be real—New Yorkers aren’t exactly thrilled about shelling out more for a system that often feels like it’s running on fumes. Commuters are vocal about the burden these hikes place on their already tight budgets.

“I just know it’s gonna add up,” said Mayan Crampton, a 23-year-old commuter from Hoboken, voicing a frustration that echoes across the five boroughs (Gothamist). And who can blame them when every dime counts in a city this expensive?

Commuter Frustrations Boil Over

Some riders are pointing fingers at the MTA for what they see as fiscal mismanagement. They argue the agency is more obsessed with flashy infrastructure like new turnstiles than fixing the delays and breakdowns that plague daily rides.

“The MTA constantly misappropriates funds. Instead of installing new turnstiles, they could actually improve the service,” said Seana Steele, a 41-year-old commuter fed up with the priorities.

Steele’s point hits a nerve—why focus on fare evasion crackdowns when affordability and reliability are the real issues? If the system worked better, maybe fewer folks would feel forced to jump a turnstile in the first place.

Balancing Budgets or Burdening Riders?

Now, it’s worth noting that the MTA isn’t hiking fares just for kicks—they’re grappling with genuine cost pressures and inflation that hit every public service. But when riders see little improvement in exchange for their hard-earned cash, the trust gap widens.

At the end of the day, this $3 fare is a bitter pill for a city that prides itself on accessibility, yet keeps pricing out the very people who keep it moving.

While progressive policies often push for equity, these incremental hikes risk leaving everyday workers behind—ironic, isn’t it?