TrainWeb.org Facebook Page
Page 7 - Half Fare Sunday / Weekend Tickets
The Catalog of Transit Fiscal Ephemera & Exonumia from the City of the New York
(pre-MetroCard)
featuring the collections of George S. Cuhaj & Philip M. Goldstein

Page 7

Half Fare Sunday, Weekend & Holiday Tickets
  • December 16, 1973 to November 8, 1975: Valid from 6 AM Sunday to 1 AM Monday
  • September 6, 1975 to May 17, 1980: Valid from 6 PM Saturday to 1 AM Monday
  • Weekday Holidays and times as listed

   These tickets were issued during the “gas crunch” or oil crisis taking place in October 1973 through 1974, when OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) embargoed oil exports to the United States in response to the US support for Israel in the Egypt / Israel Yom Kippur War.

   When the program was first rolled out, this was to encourage New York City residents to use mass transit instead of automobiles on Sundays to conserve gasoline.

   The Half Fare Sunday program met with such positive acceptance, that it was continued even after gasoline supplies returned to normal. It underwent expansion to included Saturdays as well; on September 6, 1975; and went on to include Federal holidays: President's Day, Memorial Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Eve/Day, even if it did not fall on a Saturday or Sunday, which is why you will see half fare tickets marked for Monday & Tuesday; Wednesday through Friday, and other weekday combinations depending on which days the holiday 'fell'.

   Sunday Half Fare Tickets were issued upon payment of full fare (when rolled out, this was 35 cents for initial first trip, with passenger receiving a free return trip coupon a ticket from clerk. This allowed the passenger and entire round trip at half fare. 

   Unlike the Half Fare for Seniors program, the Half Fare Sunday program was for rapid transit lines only (subways and elevateds); and it did not include surface routes (buses), of which those remained full fare.

   Ironically, the Half Fare Sunday program was still active when the second oil crisis hit in 1979 due to the Iranian Revolution. While not the result of a total embargo; oil production from Iran was reduced as a result of their revolution, resulting in a steep rise (exceeding double) in crude oil prices and once again leading to increased popularity with the weekend half fare program.

   Despite this, the program was abolished in May 1980 with the last weekend of issue being May 17 and 18.

   There are three sizes and styles associated with issues: 

December 16, 1973 to February 10, 1974plain bond paper; pink, green, blue and white bond paperElliott Ticket
February 17, 1974 to April 14, 1974security watermarked bond paper; lavender, terra-cotta, pink, goldenrod, greenGlobe Ticket
April 21, 1974 to May 17, 1980pulp paper undyed/unbleached;
colored stripe on right end: yellow, purple, gray, aqua green, lavender or orange
Globe Ticket

.

.

1973 - bond paper - Elliott Ticket
dash perforation
.

.

1974
bond paper; 6" (w/ 11/16" selvage) x 1 15/16"
Elliott Ticket
.
.
1974 - bond paper, switch to security underprint - Globe Ticket
dash perforation
.

.
1974 - switch to pulp paper, with dye strip on right edge

all subsequent issues from this point, the length of these ticket varies substantially, however the width remains at a constant 2 to 2 1/16"
dash perforation

Globe Ticket

1975
.
change in time - 6:00 pm Saturday to 1:00 am Monday

6:00 pm Wednesday to 1:00 am Friday - Thanksgiving

December 25 to December 26 - Christmas

1976

January 1 - 6:00 am to January 2 - 1:00 am; New Years


6:00 am Monday to 1:00 am Tuesday; Presidents Day

February 29 - Leap Year Day

Memorial Day
intentionally left blank

Notch perforation instituted

Labor Day

1977

Monday to Tuesday - Memorial Day
July 4th - Monday to Tuesday
.
1978

1979 - 1980
5" (w/o selvage) x 2 1/32"
Globe Ticket
.
.
5 3/8" (w/o selvage) x 2 1/6"
Globe Ticket

All NYCTA Half Fare Sunday tickets easily available. $1.50 to $2.00 per ticket. Premium for first and last weekend of service: $5.00 for each.
Intact books are frequently seen and plentiful. Not worth sum of tickets.

Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority

1973 - bond paper - Elliott Ticket
.

.

1974 - bond paper, switch to security print - Globe Ticket
.

.
1974 - switch to pulp paper, with dye strip on right edge

NYCTA / MaBSTOA Half Fare Sunday tickets not as common as NYCTA only are. $2.50 to $3.00 per ticket. Premium for first and last weekend of service: $5.00 for each.
Intact books not frequently seen and still not worth sum of tickets
.

 


Page 1: Fare Tickets & Employee Passesyou are on Page 7: Half Fare Tickets - Sundays / Weekends
Page 2: TokensPage 8: Half Fare Tickets - Senior Citizens & Handicapped
Page 3: Continuing Ride Tickets & Transfers - Rapid TransitPage 9: School / Student / Pupil Reduced Fare & Free Passes
Page 4: Continuing Ride Tickets & Transfers - Surface; Streetcar LinesPage 10: Special Issue Tickets
Page 5: Continuing Ride Tickets & Transfers - Surface; Bus RoutesPage 11: Staten Island Rapid Transit
Page 6: Continuing Ride Tickets; Surface; Add-A-RidePage 12: Hudson and Manhattan & Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH)


.All content, graphics, and text in part or in whole, unless otherwise noted.

This website and its authors are not affiliated, employed nor represent the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, New York City Transit Authority, The Transit Museum, the City of New York, the State of New York or any other municipal governmental agency; or any private company contracted by the previous agencies; and no such affiliation is implied or suggested.



.