Discounted CityTicket Offers Travel Within New York City on LIRR & Metro-North for Just $5 Off Peak and $7 Peak
LIRR Service to the East Side of Manhattan Sparked 41% LIRR Service Increase in 2022
With the New York City Department of Transportation declaring Tuesday, Dec. 5, as the 12th of 19 Gridlock Alert days this season, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is today reminding the public that the best way to avoid getting stuck in gridlock – and contributing to it – is to ride the most extensive public transportation system in North America, including the nation’s busiest commuter railroads offering more than 1,600 trains a day to 250 stations over 5,000 square miles.
Getting around town can now be easier and less expensive on the LIRR and Metro-North than ever before thanks to the expansion of the discounted CityTicket, which is now available for travel within New York City on all Metro-North and LIRR trains 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The ticket costs just $5 during off-peak times and $7 during peak times, just like it’s cousin the Far Rockaway Ticket, which offers travel to and from Far Rockaway for the same prices. The LIRR increased service by 41% in in February with the opening of Grand Central Madison, and the two railroads have 42 stations within New York City.
Real time information about upcoming train arrivals are available on the MTA’s TrainTime app, which also allows riders to buy and display tickets.
“Congestion has a stranglehold on New York’s quality of life and economy, and the MTA is making it easier than ever to avoid it by increasing commuter rail service and bringing down prices,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “Gridlock Alert days are a great time to try the $5 City Ticket and take advantage of LIRR’s historic 41% service increase – with trains now bringing passengers right to the East Side of Manhattan. Has anything gone down in price since the pandemic? Yes, monthly ticket prices on both commuter railroads are cheaper now than before the pandemic.”
Of course, the subway offers frequent service throughout all parts of the central business district and beyond, with trains on many lines operating every three minutes or less during rush hours.
The MTA offers customers a variety of ways to receive real-time and planned service change information, as well as 24/7 customer support in their native language.
MTA.info – The definitive source for real-time arrival information and service change information for each line or route in the MTA system. Customers can find current statuses on mta.info and upcoming planned service changes using our lookup tool at mta.info/alerts.
MYmta app – Customers who use the comprehensive MYmta smartphone app will see real-time train and bus arrival times and other travel information for all MTA services all in one place. The app is available in the Apple Store and in Google Play Store.
Email & Text Alerts – Customers can sign up for email and SMS alerts tailored to their specific commutes and travel times. They can also sign up for MTA newsletters like The Weekender, a weekly newsletter that covers major weekend planned service changes. Customers can sign up here.
WhatsApp – Riders can chat with NYC Transit via WhatsApp for 24/7 customer assistance. With the help of Google Translate, NYC Transit staff offer real-time customer support in up to 108 languages.
511 – For those who prefer to contact the MTA by telephone, information is available by dialing 511. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can use their preferred service provider for the free 711 relay to reach the MTA at 511.