When I’m visiting New York, I usually take the train from Trenton to New York Penn Station. It’s cheaper than driving into the city and then parking at a garage. It’s $31 for a roundtrip train ticket vs. $50/day for parking. (Not to mention tolls, gas, etc)
From Penn Station, you can take a local line pretty much anywhere in the city. And when the MTA used to offer their 1-Day Fun Passes, this was the ultimate way to get around the city!
The one-day fun pass gave you unlimited rides on the MTA for 24-hours, and it only cost $8 or so! If we stayed for two days, we’d buy two cards. 2 people + 2 cards = $32 to the MTA.
Instead, we’re now forced to pay $2.50 for each ride on the subway. The last time we were in the city, we used the subway twice, and walked everywhere else! Total money spent = $10.
The MTA discontinued the 1-Day Fun Pass on December 30th, 2010, stating that it “wasn’t popular”.. What’s the harm in keeping that option available for tourists who are visiting the city and want to see everything without spending a fortune?
There was one weekend when we went to Canal Street, the World Trade Center, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Little Italy, and Coney Island. (It was my girl’s first time to New York and she wanted to see all the touristy spots)
With an unlimited day pass, it was great! But today, doing that would cost a bundle!
Here’s hoping that the MTA brings back the 1-Day Fun Passes!
at 2:26 am
They also lied and said that the fun pass only accounted for less than 1% of all metrocard purchases being made. Wheres the proof? They can say anything but where is proof that only 1% of “ALL” purchases were the one day unlimited fun pass? They are liars and scammers. I’ve added $5 to my card few days ago I swiped it at a turnstyle seconds later and it said insufficient fare!I once bought a single ride ticket form the metocard vending machine I swiped it second later and it said “Tranfer not Valid”! Rip offs & thieves! If it happent to me I can imagine it’s happening to other people too and the MTA is stealing millions from hard working people and still continue to hike fares and more service cuts!
at 8:14 pm
Tricking the newbies! Making tourists pay way moreeee than usual … So sad!! Not nice & sounds unwelcoming to NYC!!!
at 11:31 am
When they did away with the fun pass, they really did take a lot of the fun out of visiting the city. We visit the city much less often as a result, and wish they would bring it back. It is a real shame what they did.
at 2:42 pm
Yeah Chris, I totally agree.. The first time we used the fun pass (way back in 2000), we traveled EVERYWHERE with it!
Uptown, Downtown, the Financial District, Coney Island, Brooklyn, and a slew of other places, it was a great way to see different parts of the city without dealing with traffic, parking, or any of the other headaches.
Sucks that it’s gone now.