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Base fares for a ride will stay the same; the cost of weekly and monthly MetroCards will rise.CreditKirsten Luce for The New York Times

The board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted on Wednesday to raise fares and tolls across its network of trains, buses, bridges and tunnels. On March 19, the base fare on subways and buses will remain $2.75, but riders will receive a lower bonus when buying a pay-per-ride MetroCard. Here is a look at what New Yorkers can expect:

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How much will it cost to ride the subway?

The base fare will still be $2.75, but when you put at least $5.50 on a MetroCard, you will get only a 5 percent bonus. It used to be 11 percent. The bonus is a discount for people who do not buy an unlimited pass.

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What about weekly and monthly passes?

A weekly MetroCard will increase by $1 to $32. A monthly pass will increase by $4.50 to $121.

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Didn’t we just have a fare increase? Why are fares rising again?

The last fare increase was two years ago when the base fare rose to $2.75 from $2.50. Officials at the authority have said they must raise fares every two years to pay for the rising costs of providing service. State leaders agreed to regular increases as part of a financial rescue plan approved by the New York Legislature in 2009.

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What about tolls at tunnels and bridges?

The E-ZPass toll at the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, for instance, will rise by 22 cents to $5.76. At the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, where tolls are collected only when entering Staten Island, the E-ZPass toll will increase by 44 cents to $11.52, and the cash toll will increase by $1 to $17. Additional information about tolls on specific tunnels and bridges is available on the authority’s website.

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How will this affect commuters on the Metro-North Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road?

On the commuter railroads, fares will rise about 4 percent. Since fares are based on the distance traveled and the time of day, the fare increase will affect certain types of tickets differently.

The MetroCard bonus is confusing. How does it work?

Currently, if you put $27.25 on a MetroCard, for instance, you would get an 11 percent bonus of $3 added to your card. The total on your card would be $30.25, which would pay for 11 rides. Under the new fares, the bonus would drop to 5 percent.

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The fare is becoming too high for some New Yorkers. What is the status of the proposal by transit advocates to offer discount fares for low-income riders?

Those advocates have pressed Mayor Bill de Blasio to pay for half-price MetroCards for New Yorkers living in poverty. One of the board’s newest members, David R. Jones, has made it his top priority. Mr. de Blasio, a Democract, has said the proposal was a “noble idea,” but he said on Tuesday that the city could not afford the program. City officials have said the state should help pay for the proposal since the authority is run by the state.

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Did anyone oppose the fare increase?

One board member, Carl V. Wortendyke, who represents Rockland County, voted against the increase. Several subway and bus riders who spoke at the board meeting said they were struggling and could not afford to pay more. Lisa Hamner, 49, of Brooklyn, said she lived in a homeless shelter and had to walk three hours to attend a computer class because the current fares were too high. The authority also held eight public hearings to receive feedback from commuters.

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Why did the authority choose this option over another proposal?

Officials considered two proposals, including a plan to raise the base fare to $3. The authority’s chairman, Thomas F. Prendergast, said the agency preferred keeping the base fare at $2.75 to benefit disabled riders who use Access-A-Ride and low-income riders, many of whom pay the base fare because they cannot afford to buy more than one ride at a time. Several board members criticized the authority for reducing the popular bonus on pay-per-ride Metrocards.

Why do we still have to swipe a MetroCard? I’ve used more modern technology on subways in other cities.

Officials are moving to replace the MetroCard with a new fare payment system that would be easier to use. Subway riders could tap a bank card or a smartphone on an electronic reader as early as 2018. The authority is planning to award a contract to oversee the new system this year.