NEW YORK (PIX11) – The MTA will vote on discounted train fares during a meeting on Tuesday two months before the planned rollout of congestion pricing.
The MTA board is expected to approve a 10% cut on some Metro-North and LIRR rail fares to draw more drivers from their cars. The agency's outer-borough transportation account is expected to offset the projected $4 million in lost revenue from rail fare discounts.
The discounted monthly tickets, which would only apply to travel in the five boroughs, would go into effect on July 1 and can be purchased starting June 25.
The agency is also planning to add express bus service on six routes running from areas of southeast Brooklyn and Staten Island into Lower Manhattan.
The MTA announced last Friday that congestion pricing will go into effect on June 30. Drivers must pay a $15 toll during peak hours to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street.
Congestion pricing is still facing legal challenges in New York and New Jersey courts that could affect its rollout.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.