NYC subway fares

When subways first opened in 1904 the cost of riding was one nickel. These nickels would be given to a worker and the worker would allow you entrance into the subway platform. It soon became evident that workers were allowing entry to friends and acquaintances who would not pay the entrance fair. In 1928 turnstiles were created to ensure that entrance was only granted after the costumer had paid the fare. This method worked for the first 50 years the turnstiles were in use, but once the price hiked up to 15¢ a new method had to be adapted. A 15¢ coin did not exist and the turnstiles could only detect one coin at a time. To fix this issue they created token which would be inserted into the turnstyle to allow you entrance onto the platform. One token was equivalent to the cost of the subway at any time period. The token continued to stay in effect for another 50 years until the prices reached 1.50 in 2003 and the metro card was created. The metro card allows you to place any specific amount of money onto a card which you then swipe to enter the subway platform. The current price to ride a New York City subway is 2.75, but you can but any amount of money you wish on to your metro card while the token would have only allowed to you to pay for a single ride. The MTA is always trying to evolve and make the system more efficient, by 2020 they hope to introduce a card less system that would only require you to scan an app on your phone for entry on to the platform.