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 TransitChek
which 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 ID
and 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 MetroCards
for a week ($29) or a month ($104).
There’s now even an ExpressPay MetroCard
the 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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