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Report: MTA's New MetroCard Fee Bringing In More Money Than Expected

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The MTA's $1 fee for a new MetroCard is bringing in more money than the agency originally expected.

The so-called "green" card fee went into effect in March with other fare hikes as a way to encourage riders to keep and refill their MetroCards instead of buying new ones in an effort to reduce waste.

The agency forecast it would save about $20 million in revenue from not having to print as many cards.

Report: MTA's New MetroCard Fee Bringing In More Money Than Expected

But a transit executive said more riders than anticipated are still buying new cards and paying the $1 fee, according to a report in the Daily News.

At the Times Square station, some straphangers said if the MTA wants riders to reuse their cards, it will have to make them more durable.

"This is my third new card in a week," one man told WCBS 880's Paul Murnane.

"It's going to wear out, so eventually I'm going have to get another one, pay another dollar," said another rider. "It's only been five times since I reloaded it, so eventually, they're going to get me for a dollar."

The MTA didn't say how much more money has come in from the new card fee since March, according to the report.

The agency had said it prints almost 160 million MetroCards each year at an annual cost of nearly $10 million.

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