MTA Guide to Accessible Transit
MTA Subways and Buses
The
Reduced-Fare Program
Fare Information
Traveling on MTA Subways
Traveling on MTA Buses
Travel Training
Accessible Station List
Elevator + Escalator Outages
Information in large print or Braille brochure, or on audiotape
If you have a qualifying disability or are 65 years of age or older, you are eligible for reduced-fare travel on MTA subways and buses (with certain restrictions on express bus service, see below) in New York City and on Long Island. You pay reduced fare on subways and buses when using a Reduced-Fare MetroCard, on subways by purchasing a Single Ride Ticket and receiving a return-trip coupon, and on buses by paying the reduced fare (half the regular fare) in cash.
To pay reduced fare with cash or to purchase a Single Ride Ticket you must present one of the following forms of identification:
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Reduced-Fare MetroCard
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Paratransit card (Access-A-Ride or Able-Ride)
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New York City Department for the Aging ID card
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MTA Reduced-Fare ID card (issued prior to 1995)
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Medicare card (Medicaid cards not accepted)
You can save even more by taking advantage of MetroCard discounts when you use a Reduced-Fare MetroCard.
Reduced-Fare MetroCard, a plastic photo-ID card, can be used to pay your fare on New York City Transit subways and local buses, MTA Bus, MTA Staten Island Railway, and MTA Long Island Bus. You can also use a Reduced-Fare MetroCard as valid identification to pay reduced fare on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad.
Reduced-Fare EasyPay MetroCard is an option for purchasing your Reduced-Fare MetroCard through an account that allows you to pay with a major credit card or an electronic debit from your checking account, or by check or money order. You can use EasyPay to purchase a pay-per-ride card or weekly or monthly unlimited ride cards. To get an application for Reduced-Fare EasyPay MetroCard, call the Reduced-Fare Office at 718-243-4999 or 718-596-8273 (TTY). More information is available on the Reduced-Fare MetroCard page and on the EasyPay MetroCard page. If you are enrolled in EasyPay, you can check your balance 24 hours a day toll-free by calling 1-877-323-RIDE.
Applying for Reduced-Fare MetroCard
Note: Be sure to request the appropriate Reduced-Fare application form: qualifying disability (use for AutoGate) or senior citizen.
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By phone: Call the Reduced-Fare Office at 718-243-4999 or 718-596-8273 (TTY), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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By mail: Write the Customer Assistance Division, 2 Broadway, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10004.
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In person: Visit the MetroCard service center at 3 Stone Street, New York, NY, open Monday though Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; call 718-330-1234 for directions. Or stop at one of the special buses and vans that sell MetroCard. Please call the Reduced-Fare Office or the LI Bus Travel Information Center at 516-228-4000 (TTY; 516-228-4002) to find a convenient bus or van location.
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On-line: Download the application from the MTA website.
Your Reduced-Fare MetroCard will arrive in the mail four to eight weeks after your application is received.
MTA New York City Transit, MTA Long Island Bus, and MTA Bus Fare Information
If you have a qualifying disability or are 65 years of age or older, you are eligible for reduced-fare travel on MTA subways and buses. The base fare for reduced-fare customers is $1.10 on New York City Transit subways and local buses and for Long Island Bus, MTA Bus, and Staten Island Railway.
Subways accept MetroCard payment only; purchases can be made at station booths with cash, at MetroCard Vending Machines with cash or credit/debit/ATM cards, or at MetroCard vendors. Buses accept exact change or MetroCard.
Reduced-fare customers may also take advantage of MetroCard discounts:
Put $8 or more on your Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard and receive a 15 percent bonus. For example, a $20 purchase gives you $23 on your card. You get an automatic free transfer between subway and bus, or between buses.
Unlimited Ride |
Regular Cost |
Reduced-Fare Cost |
7-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard |
$27.00 |
$13.50 |
14-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard |
$51.50 |
$25.75 |
30-Day Unlimited Ride MetroCard |
$89.00 |
$44.50 |
7-Day Express Bus Plus MetroCard |
$45.00 |
not applicable |
EasyPay
By using EasyPay to purchase your MetroCard, you can cap monthly spending at $44.50, the reduced-fare cost of a 30-day card. By tracking usage, New York City Transit provides each EasyPay customer with the least expensive payment option retroactively; frequent users pay the monthly rate, others receive the advantages of weekly or per-ride rates.
MetroCard Vending Machines (MVMs)
MetroCard Vending Machines are installed at all subway stations. The machines accept credit cards, ATM/debit cards, or cash. Customers with visual impairments may use an audio feature that will prompt them through the use of the machine. You must use your personal headset, such as those used with tape players, to access the feature. Braille instructions for the use of the feature are located at the base of the screen.
Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard
AutoGate is an automatic entry/exit gate that allows customers who have ambulatory disabilities, are accompanied by a service animal, or use wheelchairs to enter and exit the subway system. AutoGate units are available in many accessible subway stations in Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
A customer must have the specially encoded Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard to open AutoGates or conventional turnstiles. Customers with mobility impairments pay a reduced fare and receive the same free two-hour transfer as all MetroCard customers. MTA New York City Transit issues a special Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard to subway riders with qualifying disabilities.
Reduced-Fare MetroCard also serves as identification for customers who wish to pay a reduced fare on these other MTA services: Long Island Bus, Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, MTA Bus, Westchester County Bee-Line buses (certain exclusions apply), and Staten Island Railway.
You need a Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard to enter or exit the subway system through the AutoGate.
To apply for a Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard, complete a Reduced-Fare MetroCard application. Please click here for application information. If you have a qualifying disability, you will be issued a Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard. This card has the words "AutoGate MetroCard printed on the front.
If you have a standard Reduced-Fare MetroCard and it does not say "AutoGate MetroCard, it is not one. If you need the AutoGate feature, contact us at 718-243-4999 or 718-596-8273 (TTY), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard
MTA New York City Transit now offers a Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard to customers and visitors to New York City who, due to a mobility impairment, are unable to operate a turnstile without assistance or who, due to the need for accompaniment by a service animal, are unable to use certain turnstiles.
Like the Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard, the "Temporary" Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard lets a customer open any AutoGate at ADA-accessible subway stations and pay a reduced fare. It is also accepted on all buses and at subway stations that do not have AutoGate.
The Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard is valid for approximately 90 days from the date of issue.
You can obtain a Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard
immediately
by completing an application for a Reduced-Fare MetroCard for People with
Disabilities at the NYC Transit Customer Service Center at 3 Stone Street
in Lower Manhattan or through NYC Transit's Mobile Sales fleet (MetroCard
vans and buses). The Customer Service Center is located near the ADA-accessible
Bowling Green 
subway
station and close to many bus lines.
You can also download an application online at www.mta.info by clicking on the "Accessibility Information" link www.mta.info/mta/ada/index.html. If you mail your application, please allow two to three weeks to receive a Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard.
Interactive Voice Responsive System
If you are visually impaired, you can call 800-861-9614 toll-free and follow a menu to check the balance on your Reduced-Fare MetroCard, its expiration date, date of last transaction/use, and other information.
Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad Fare Information
Reduced-fare customers pay half the one-way peak fare at all times except during morning rush hours and may purchase tickets on board the train without paying the on-board fare (you will pay the same price as the one available at ticket windows and ticket machines). On LIRR, morning peak trains are those arriving weekdays at Penn Station, Flatbush Avenue (Atlantic Avenue Terminal), Hunterspoint Avenue, or Long Island City between 6 and 10 a.m. On MNR, morning peak trains are those arriving weekdays in Grand Central Terminal between 5 and 10 a.m. and those departing Grand Central Terminal weekdays between 5:30 and 9 a.m. Check timetables for morning peak service on West-of-Hudson trains.
Accessible Stations
New York City Transit subway and Staten Island Railway (SIR) currently have 86 ADA-accessible stations as of August 2009. Many ADA-accessible subway stations in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn are equipped with AutoGate, an automatic entry/exit gate that allows customers who have ambulatory disabilities, are accompanied by a service animal, or use wheelchairs to enter and exit the subway system. AutoGate units are also located in some non-ADA-accessible subway stations for customers who are accompanied by service animals.
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To use the subway turnstile, swipe your Reduced-Fare MetroCard and your fare will be deducted when the word GO flashes on the turnstile screen.
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To use cash, show your identification to the station agent and ask for a free return trip ticket when you purchase a single ride ticket. The return trip ticket is good for 90 days from the date of issue. On your return, give your ticket to the station agent and you will be buzzed through the service entry gate.
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To enter through the service entry gate, ask the station agent to open the gate.
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Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard offers the same free two-hour transfer as any other MetroCard and serves as identification for customers who wish to pay a reduced fare on these other MTA services: Long Island Bus, Long Island Rail Road Metro-North Railroad, MTA Bus, Westchester County Bee-Line buses (certain exclusions apply), and Staten Island Railway.
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To enter the subway through an AutoGate, hold your Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard so that the black stripe faces you and the cut-off corner is at the top of the card. Dip your Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard into the slot in the special farebox. Your Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard will pop back up after AutoGate deducts the fare and the screen displays the word "GO." The AutoGate will open automatically.
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To exit the subway through an AutoGate, dip your Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard into the exit unit. The AutoGate will open automatically without deducting a fare after your Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard pops up and the screen displays the word "GO."
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Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard MTA New York City Transit now offers a Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard to customers and visitors to New York City who, due to the need for accompaniment by a service animal, are unable to use certain turnstiles.
Like the Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard, the Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard lets a customer open any AutoGate at ADA-accessible subway stations and pay a reduced fare. It is also accepted on all buses and at subway stations that do not have AutoGate.
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Wait for the train near the center of the platform, where the car with the conductor normally stops. The conductor will be able to see you more easily and keep the doors open while you board. There are boarding area signs at all accessible stations.
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All fully accessible and renovated stations have two-foot-wide yellow tactile edge-warning strips. Make sure that you stay behind these strips until it is time to board the train.
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If you are in a wheelchair, position it about three feet from the edge of the platform and facing the tracks, with brakes locked. Never position your wheelchair between a station column and the platform edge. This creates an obstacle to passenger flow and is a safety hazard for you and the other passengers.
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At most stations there is a gap, about four inches wide and two inches high, between the platform edge and the subway car; on curved platforms the space can be wider. Please be extra careful when crossing these gaps. (The vertical gap on accessible subway station platforms is lower only near the center of the platform, near the conductor's position.)
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Once on board, position your wheelchair close to either end of the car and near but not blocking the doors. Remember to lock your brakes.
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If you miss your stop at an accessible station, stay on the train until you reach a station where you can transfer on the same platform to a train in the opposite direction and ride back to the station you missed. Ask the conductor or train operator if you need help.
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Wait near the bus stop sign where the driver can see you and you can signal to the driver.
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Make sure you have the correct bus by checking the front destination sign, listening to the recorded announcements on LI Bus vehicles and some NYC Transit and MTA Bus vehicles, or asking the driver.
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The driver will position the bus to deploy the lift safely or operate the kneeling feature.
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Priority seating for customers with disabilities and senior citizens is located behind the driver. Other passengers must make these seats available upon request. Please remember that some passengers may have disabilities that are not visible.
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If you are in a wheelchair, position yourself near the rear doors, where the lift is located on most buses. The driver will activate the lift, allow you to board, and secure your wheelchair on the bus. For added safety, please back your wheelchair onto the lift and lock your brakes. Once you are in position on board the bus, lock your brakes again. All new buses have seat belts and shoulder harnesses for extra safety. (Lifts can accommodate customers with wheelchairs, scooters, or other devices with a combined weight of 600 pounds; the device and customer must fit into a space 30 inches wide and 48 inches long.)
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When you reach your destination, please wait until the bus comes to a stop before unlocking your brakes. The driver will free your wheelchair from its position on the bus and activate the lift to let you disembark.
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If you have a visual impairment, please listen closely for your stop when it is announced by a recording or by the driver, who will call out stops at major intersections. You can also ask the driver to notify you when your stop is next.
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Please alert the driver when you want to exit by pressing the strips located in the area surrounding the windows. If you miss your stop, tell the driver and he or she will drop you off at the next stop.
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NYC Transit and MTA Bus have a Request-A-Stop late-night service that offers customers the convenience of getting off the bus at a location along the bus route other than a bus stop, as long as the driver deems it safe. The service is available from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., seven days a week. Just tell the driver where you want to get off.
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Planning a trip (use of maps, schedules, signs, telephone, information services, and landmarks)
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Remembering and following directions
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Traveling safely at all times
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Identifying the correct bus stop, bus, subway station, or subway at the point of origin, transfer, and destination
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Coping with service disruptions, delays, and emergencies
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Correctly using mobility aids, such as wheelchairs and scooters
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Requesting information/help from appropriate sources
The Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard is valid for approximately 90 days from the date of issue.
You can obtain a Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard immediately by completing an application for a Reduced-Fare MetroCard for People with Disabilities at the NYC Transit Customer Service Center at 3 Stone Street in Lower Manhattan or through NYC Transit's Mobile Sales fleet (MetroCard vans and buses). The Customer Service Center is located near the ADA-accessible Bowling Green
You can also download an application online at www.mta.info by clicking on the "Accessibility Information" link www.mta.info/mta/ada/index.html. If you mail your application, please allow two to three weeks to receive a Temporary Reduced-Fare AutoGate MetroCard.
Boarding, Riding, and Leaving Trains To ensure that you have a safe, comfortable, and convenient ride, follow these guidelines:
Tactile Signage and Visual Displays All fully accessible stations and newly renovated stations have tactile-Braille signage that is located on the left side of the station booth and on the platform columns nearest the stairs as well as on other columns throughout the station. Elevator/Escalator Hotline We work hard to keep elevators/escalators in good repair, but sometimes they are not operating. Call the special hotline at 800-734-6772 or 718-596-8273 (TTY) to find out in advance whether the elevator/escalator at your accessible subway station is working. Personal Care Attendants Personal Care Attendants (PCAs people employed to assist individuals with disabilities) are eligible to ride the subway system free when accompanying a person who is carrying a paratransit card that designates PCA assistance is required. Service Animals Customers with disabilities are permitted to bring their service animals into all MTA transit facilities. The animals must be securely leashed for the safety of all customers. Service Changes and Emergencies For information about service changes, particularly on weekends, look for a white board in the station booth or ask the booth agent. If your train is being rerouted from an accessible station, ask the station agent or a conductor to help you choose an alternate route. The conductor sits in the middle car of the subway. If you are hearing or speech impaired, you may obtain information from transit personnel using handwritten notes. If a mid-trip disruption in service makes it difficult or impossible for you to reach your destination, inform a conductor or station attendant. The MTA will make arrangements to get you to your destination or help you return home. Transit personnel will help you if an emergency requires evacuation. Please follow the instructions of these trained personnel and the police. Some emergencies require that stretchers be used to help customers in wheelchairs leave the train. When this happens, wheelchairs are removed separately and returned to the owners as soon as possible.Top
Traveling on MTA Accessible Buses
New
York City Transit, MTA Bus, and Long Island Bus serve local and express
bus routes throughout the five boroughs and in Nassau and western Suffolk
counties. These routes connect with many subway and commuter rail stations,
as well as key transportation hubs. The nearly 4,700 buses in NYC Transit's
fleet are accessible to people who use wheelchairs and have a kneeling
feature that lowers the front entrance of the vehicle to within inches
from the ground for easy access by any customer with mobility impairments
or difficulty using the front steps. MTA Bus has wheelchair-accessible
service on all of its 1,359 buses serving 35 express routes and 47 local routes.
LI Bus provides wheelchair-accessible service on all of its 53 routes and
has equipped its fleet of 333 buses with wheelchair lifts and kneeling ability.
All LI Bus vehicles are equipped with systems that provide interior
and exterior recorded announcements of routes and stops. Timetables
for all bus routes are
available in pdf format, or by calling calling 718-330-1234 for NYC Transit or MTA Bus schedules; or LI Bus at 516-228-4000 (TTY 516-228-4002).
You can also pick up schedules at the NYC Transit MetroCard Service
Center, 3 Stone Street, New York, NY, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5
p.m., or at the Hempstead Transit Center, located between Jackson and
Columbia Streets in Hempstead, weekdays, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday
and Sunday 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.Paratransit is available for those who
cannot use other MTA transportation. See the paratransit
section.
Paying Your Bus Fare To pay with a Reduced-Fare
MetroCard, dip the card in the fare box with the stripe facing you.
To pay a reduced fare in cash, you need to have your identification
and the exact fare ready. If
you board an NYC Transit bus via the wheelchair lift, the driver will
give you a postage-paid, pre-addressed envelope to pay your fare by
mail. On MTA Bus pay in cash or with Reduced-Fare MetroCard. On LI
Bus customers in wheelchairs can pay the driver directly with cash
or a Reduced-Fare MetroCard. On LI Bus, you can transfer between any
designated bus route and the transfer is free. Please note that all customers
pay full fare on morning inbound peak (6 to 10 a.m.) and outbound peak
(3 to 7 p.m.) express buses.
Boarding, Riding, and Leaving
the Bus
Personal Care Attendants Personal Care Attendants (PCAs people employed to assist individuals with disabilities) are eligible to ride MTA buses free when accompanying a person who is carrying a paratransit card that designates PCA assistance is required. Service Animals Customers with disabilities are permitted to bring their service animals into all MTA transit facilities. The animals must be securely leashed for the safety of all customers. Top
New York City Transit's Travel Training Program teaches customers with disabilities to use the subways and buses. To participate in the program, customers must be registered with Access-A-Ride, NYC Transit's paratransit service. Training is one-on-one and is customized to meet the individualized needs and goals of each customer. Consequently, the duration of training varies among trainees. At first, a trainer will accompany you on your travel. As you become more independent, the trainer will offer less and less assistance during the trip, until you are able to travel safely and independently. Trainees master the following skills:
Customers interested in applying for the Travel Training Program should call Michael Levy at 718-393-4148 or write to NYC Transit, Paratransit Division, 3300 Northern Boulevard, Long Island City, NY, 11101. Top