Until when is my Metro North monthly ticket good?

December 1, 2011 6:49 AM

From what date to what date are MTA Metro North monthly tickets effective? (seems obvious I know, but I am confused)...

I've only just begun a regular commute 3 months ago, which is why I'm still getting my bearings about the whole thing.

The last couple of months, my Metro North monthly tickets worked until the 3rd of the following month. However when I got on the train today, the conductor punched and wanted to take my ticket, though it's only the first. I also noticed that my ticket from October is dated 10/03/11, while my November ticket is dated 11/01/11. What determines these dates?

Need I buy a new ticket today before heading home? Or do I have another day or two to buy the ticket?

posted by taltalim to travel & transportation around New York, NY (7 answers total)

the third was the first commuting day of the month in October. Yes you need to buy a ticket today.
posted by JPD at 6:53 AM on December 1, 2011

Unlimited rides for a calendar month; save 50% (based on 42 rides per month) off the one-way peak fare. Most cost-effective fare for daily commutation. All Monthly tickets go on sale at ticket offices and ticket machines the 20th of the previous month. All Monthly tickets go on sale through WebTicket the 1st of the previous month. Monthly tickets are non-transferable; the first person to use this ticket is the only person who can use it. This ticket will be inspected periodically by train crew members.

The third was the first Monday of the month. So, go get your ticket!
posted by Yellow at 6:56 AM on December 1, 2011

Since 99.9% of the monthly tickets are for commuters working a M-F 9-5 schedule, that's when they calculate the beginning of that Monthly ticket.

October 3rd was the first weekday in October. November 1st was a Tuesday, so that ticket started on the 1st. December 1st is a Thursday, so December's starts on that date; January 1st 2012 will be on Sunday, so Monday, January 2nd, will be the first date of the January ticket.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:58 AM on December 1, 2011

Seconding JPD (and on preview, everyone else). You can usually use your monthly from the previous month on the morning commute of the first business day of the next month (and it's totally standard for the conducter to punch it and take it from you then, like a regular ticket). You definitely need to buy a new one today, and I recommend doing it before the afternoon/evening rush hour, as the lines at GCT are very long on the afternoon of the first day of the month.
posted by hovizette at 6:59 AM on December 1, 2011

That doesn't sound right to me. The way conductors announce at the beginning of the month, that "duh, we will not take last month's pass because today is a new month" always led me to assume that they go strictly by calendar month. But I usually only ride on weekdays.
posted by swift at 8:09 AM on December 1, 2011

The Metro North site says "Valid for unlimited rides in calendar month. Best for commuters."

From my experience on the LIRR, a conductor will sometimes cut you a little slack at the beginning of the month and let you ride on the last month's ticket, even though it isn't really valid anymore. Looks like you got a conductor in a bad mood.

I'd suspect the date printed on your monthly is the date you purchased it.
posted by Andrhia at 8:23 AM on December 1, 2011

Harlem line veteran nthing the above. Metro North will usually cut you some slack on the first morning commute of the new month, but they will take your old ticket so you won't do it again that day.

By the way, buying your ticket by Mail and Ride is the easiest way to do this if you are going to commute regularly, especially if you set it up with an automatic charge to a credit card. That way you get the new month's card well before the end of the month you're in, with no standing in line and the opportunity to let Metro North know that you won't need a monthly ticket for one or two of the next two months (if you get, say, a month-long vacation, ha). Also, if you forget and actually receive a monthly ticket when you don't need one, it's really easy to take that ticket to the Mail and Ride window at Grand Central and not get charged/get your money back if necessary.
posted by redfisch at 11:19 AM on December 1, 2011