Fare Changes: Dates to Remember

New fares will soon go into effect for certain Port Authority riders on the bus, T and Mon Incline. Here are some key dates to keep in mind:

December 4, 2009: Last day new customers can lock in the current rate for annual passes (that's $825 for Zone 1 and $990 for Zone 2), as well as the last day existing customers can extend their current annual pass by three months.

For example, if you started using your current annual pass on August 1, you can continue to use that pass through August 1, 2010 without having to pay extra – and if you renew by the December 4 deadline, you'll be able to lock in the current annual pass rate through September, October and November as well, meaning you won't have to pay the increased pass rate ($880 for Zone 1 and $1,155 for Zone 2) until December of 2010.

If you're not already a Zone 1 or Zone 2 annual pass customer but are thinking about becoming one, now is the time to do it. You’ll lock in current rates and enjoy an ongoing benefit of annual passes – one free month of transit!

Zone 3 annual pass customers will see a savings of $55 on their annual passes due to their absorption into Zone 2, so they should disregard the December 4 deadline.

December 18, 2009: Last day 10-trip ticket books will be sold at their current price – $15 for the Downtowner Zone, $26 for Zone 2 and $32.50 for Zone 3. Zone 1 will remain unchanged at $20.

December 21, 2009: New 10-trip ticket books go on sale – the Downtowner Zone will be absorbed into Zone 1 at $20, and Zone 2 will become $27.50, as will Zone 3, which is being eliminated and absorbed into Zone 2.

December 31, 2009: Last day to exchange full books of tickets for new ones at the Downtown Service Center. Customers will be required to pay the difference in price from current Downtowner and Zone 2 fares. Zone 1 riders do not have to exchange tickets as their fare will remain unchanged. Zone 3 riders will get more for their money when exchanging ticket books due to their absorption into Zone 2.

January 1, 2010: New fares go into effect for cash fares, monthly passes and T system surcharges.
For example, if you're paying cash for Zone 2, you'll now pay $2.75 instead of $2.60. Zone 3 riders will be absorbed into Zone 2, saving them 50 cents on cash fares. Zone 1's cash fare will remain at $2, but the Downtowner Zone will be eliminated and absorbed into Zone 1.

Zone 1 monthly passes will go from $75 to $80 and Zone 2 will go from $90 to $105. Current Zone 3 passholders will be absorbed into Zone 2, and will save $5 on their monthly passes.

T system surcharges are applied only to cash fares from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. for inbound trips and 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for outbound trips on weekdays only. Currently, the surcharge for the Downtowner Zone is 25 cents and the surcharge for Zones 1 and 2 is 50 cents. As of January 1, all surcharges will be 75 cents.


January 3, 2010: New rates applied to weekly passes beginning with January 3-9 weekly pass. Zone 1 weekly passes will remain unchanged in price at $20. Zone 2 passes will go from $24 to $27.50 and Zone 3's will be absorbed into Zone 2, lowering that pass rate from $30 to $27.50.


March 31, 2010: Last day that Downtowner and Zone 2 tickets at the current fare can be used in conjunction with a cash drop. Because Zone 1 tickets will remain unchanged in price, riders can continue to use those tickets indefinitely.


For more details on fare and route changes, visit our Web site.