Whether
you’re a daily commuter, an occasional day-tripper or have friends visiting
from out of town, everyone can save money when you go into NYC on Metro-North
by following this time-tested advice:
TRANSITCHEK: Get
your employer to subscribe to this great service, which allows workers to buy
up to $260 per month in transit using pre-tax dollars. If you’re in
the upper tax brackets, that’s a huge savings on commutation. 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
OFF-PEAK: If your train arrives at Grand
Central weekdays after 10 am and you can avoid the 4 pm – 8 pm peak return
hours, you can save 25%. Off-peak fares are also in effect on
weekends and holidays. Your train may be less crowded,
too. These tickets are good for 60 days after purchase.
BUY
TICKETS IN ADVANCE: Buy your
ticket on the train and you’ll pay the conductor a $5.75 - $6.50 “service
charge”… a mistake you’ll make only once! (Seniors: don’t worry,
you’re exempt and can buy on-board anytime without penalty). There are ticket
machines at most stations, but the most convenient tickets are those bought online using the
new e-Tix app. And go for the ten-trip tickets (Off-Peak will save
an additional 15%). They can be shared among family members and
friends and are good for six months.
KIDS,
FAMILY & SENIOR FARES: Buy
tickets for your kids (ages 5 – 11) in advance and save 50% over adult
fares. Or pay $1 per kid on board (up to four kids traveling with an
adult, but not in morning peak hours).
Seniors,
the disabled and those on Medicare get 50% off the one way peak
fare. But you must have proper ID and you don’t get
the discount in the morning rush hours.
FREE
STATION PARKING: Even train stations
that require local parking permits usually offer free parking after 5 pm, on
nights and weekends. Check with your local municipality.
CHEAPER
STATION PARKING: If you're a regular
commuter, don’t waste money parking at comparatively “expensive” station garages
like South Norwalk ($ 12 per day), Stamford ($11) or New Haven ($18). Instead,
park at the day-lots in nearby towns for as little as $4. But be
sure to pay at the pay station before boarding the train.
Once
you’re in the city, you can save even more money.
METROCARDS: Sorry
Grandpa, subway tokens are no more. The nifty MetroCard can be
bought at most stations (even combined with your Metro-North ticket) and offer
some incredible deals: put
$5.50 on a card (bought with cash, credit or debit card) and you get a 5%
bonus. Swipe your card to ride the subway and you’ll get a free
transfer to a connecting bus. You can buy unlimited ride
MetroCards for a week ($32) or a month ($121). There’s now
even an ExpressPay MetroCard the
refills itself like an EZ-Pass.
BUT… IS IT CHEAPER TO DRIVE?: Despite
being a mass transit advocate, I’m the first to admit that there may be times
when it’s truly cheaper to drive to Manhattan than take the train, especially
with three or more passengers. You can avoid bridge tolls by taking
the Major Deegan to the Willis / Third Ave.
bridge, but I can’t help you with the traffic you’ll have to
endure.
Check out www.nyc.bestparking.com to find a great
list of parking lots and their rates close to your destination, some offering
discount coupons. Or drive to CitiField (it’s still Shea
Stadium to me) where parking is cheaper and take the # 7 subway from there to
GCT.
The
bottom line is that it isn’t cheap going into “the city”. But with a
little planning and some insider tips, you can still save
money. Enjoy!
Posted with permission of Hearst CT Media
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