MTA pilot program will offer discount LIRR tickets in Brooklyn and Queens

The Atlantic Ticket program is expected to launch this June

The MTA is getting ready to launch a half-off transit pass that will benefit LIRR commuters traveling from one of nine select LIRR stations to Atlantic Terminal, reports amNY.

The nine stations selected to benefit from the discount are located in neighborhoods that were determined to be poorly served by the subway. In efforts to compensate for that, the pilot program, named Atlantic Ticket, will offer $5 one-way tickets in LIRR's zones 1, 2, and 3, down from the standard $10.25 fee. The $104.25 weekly pass will be reduced down to $60.

"[The pilot] will have an important and meaningful rider impact—not only by reducing the fares, but also reducing extreme two-plus hour commutes down to 45 minutes," said MTA planning manager for the agency's Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, Bradley Brashears.

The pilot will cost the MTA around $250,000 to implement and the agency will study its benefits for six months to one year, which includes surveying riders throughout the duration of the program. The pilot is expected to launch in June. Tickets will be available for purchase at ticket windows and vending machines, however, it will not be sold on train cars or through the MTA's eTix ticketing app.

• LIRR's Atlantic Ticket would slash prices for 10 Brooklyn and Queens stations [amNY]