Don’t look now, but there’s a 5% fare increase coming January 1st 2013!
But if you’d like to avoid paying more, here’s a simple (and legal) trick:
BUY TICKETS BEFORE 12/31: There’s nothing stopping you from buying tickets before the January 1st fare hike of 5%. Just be sure you can use them before they expire and become worthless (see below).
Here are some other money saving tips for commuters, daytrippers and familes:
TRANSITCHEK: For commuters, see if your employer subscribes to this fabulous service, which allows workers to save up to $500 a year in mass transit costs by using pre-tax dollars. A recent survey shows that 45% of all New York City companies offer TransitChekwhich can be used on trains, subways and even ferries.
GO BY TRAIN OFF-PEAK: If you can arrive at Grand Central on weekdays after 10 am and avoid the 4 pm – 8 pm peak return hours, you can save 25%. Off-peak is also in effect on weekends and holidays. Your train will be less crowded, too.
BUY TICKETS AT THE STATION: If you buy your ticket with cash on the train you’ll pay the conductor a $5.75 - $6.50 “service charge”… a mistake you’ll make only once! There are ticket machines at most stations, but the cheapest tickets are those bought online. And go for the ten-trip tickets, peak or off-peak, to achieve additional savings. The same ten-trip ticket can be shared among passengers, even those traveling together in a group.
LOOK OUT FOR NEW TICKET RULES!: Watch out! Metro-North changed its ticket rules last year in what many consider a hidden fare hike. One way and round-trip tickets are now valid for only 60 days. Even ten-trip tickets are now valid for only six months. And forget about getting a refund on an old ticket, even if it hasn’t expired. Refunds cost $10 per transaction.
KIDS, FAMILY & SENIOR FARES: Buy tickets for your kids (ages 5 – 11) in advance and save 50% over adult fares. Or pay $1 per kid on board (up to four kids traveling with an adult, but not in morning peak hours). Seniors, the disabled and those on Medicare get 50% off the one way peak fare. But you must have proper IDand you can’t ride in the morning rush hours.
FREE STATION PARKING: Even rail stations that require parking permits usually offer free parking after 5 pm and on weekends. Check with your local town.
Once you’re in NYC, you can save even more money on mass transit.
METROCARDS: MetroCards can be bought at most stations (or combined with your Metro-North ticket) and offers some incredible deals compared to the $2.25 cash fare: put $10 on a card (bought with cash, credit or debit card) and you get a 7% bonus. Swipe your card to ride the subway and you’ll get a free transfer to a connecting bus, or vice versa. You can buy unlimited ride MetroCardsfor a week ($29) or a month ($104). There’s now even an ExpressPay MetroCardthe refills itself like an EZ-Pass.
The bottom line is that it’s never cheap going into “the city”. But with a little planning and some insider tips, you can still save money. Enjoy!
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