Every trip page that carries a weekly or monthly price also shows a break-even line: the number of one-way rides at which the pass costs the same as paying per trip. This guide explains the calculation and how to use it.
The calculation
The break-even is the pass price divided by the one-way fare, rounded up. On the LIRR and Metro-North the one-way fare used is the peak fare, because a commuter who would otherwise buy peak tickets is the rider a pass is designed for. On NJ Transit, where every train costs the same, it is the single published fare. From that ride onward the pass is cheaper; before it, single tickets are.
For example, a monthly ticket that costs the same as 18 peak one-way rides pays off for anyone making nine or more round trips in a month. A weekly ticket equal to 8 one-way rides pays off from the fifth day of a five-day week, and not at all for someone commuting three days.
On the busiest published trips
| Trip | Network | One-way | Monthly | Weekly pays off after | Monthly pays off after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlem-125 St to Grand Central | Metro-North | $7.25 | $162.00 | 9 | 23 |
| Grand Central to Harlem-125 St | Metro-North | $7.25 | $162.00 | 9 | 23 |
| Jamaica to Penn Station | LIRR | $7.25 | $207.00 | 12 | 29 |
| Penn Station to Jamaica | LIRR | $7.25 | $207.00 | 12 | 29 |
| Jamaica to Hicksville | LIRR | $10.75 | $230.75 | 8 | 22 |
| Mineola to Jamaica | LIRR | $9.00 | $197.25 | 8 | 22 |
| Jamaica to Grand Central | LIRR | $7.25 | $207.00 | 12 | 29 |
| Jamaica to Mineola | LIRR | $9.00 | $197.25 | 8 | 22 |
| Grand Central to Stamford | Metro-North | $17.75 | $349.50 | 7 | 20 |
| Hicksville to Jamaica | LIRR | $10.75 | $230.75 | 8 | 22 |
| Grand Central to Jamaica | LIRR | $7.25 | $207.00 | 12 | 29 |
| Stamford to Grand Central | Metro-North | $17.75 | $349.50 | 7 | 20 |
| Stamford to Harlem-125 St | Metro-North | $17.75 | $349.50 | 7 | 20 |
| Fordham to Harlem-125 St | Metro-North | $7.25 | $187.50 | 11 | 26 |
Rides are one-way rides at the peak fare where one exists. Published trips only, ranked by weekday trains.
What the number does not include
The comparison uses the published one-way fare bought before boarding. It ignores off-peak travel, which is cheaper per ride and makes single tickets more attractive for anyone who can travel outside the peak windows; it ignores CityTicket and other special fares; and it ignores pre-tax commuter benefit programmes, which lower the effective price of a pass for riders whose employer offers one.
Weekly and monthly rules in brief
On the LIRR and Metro-North a weekly ticket is valid for seven days and a monthly for the calendar month, on every train between the two zones printed on it, peak included. On NJ Transit weekly and monthly passes are sold between a specific origin and destination. All three operators sell them in their apps and at station machines. Prices are read from the operators' published fare charts and timetables, and the effective date is printed on each trip page.
Updated 21 Sep 2026 · operator fare rules and schedule feeds