The $1 fee imposed by the MTA to encourage riders to reuse their MetroCards is producing an unexpected amount of extra revenue for the transit agency.

The so-called “green” MetroCard was supposed to reduce the number of used MetroCards that end up in the garbage, but a transit executive said last week that more riders are paying the $1 fee for a new card than expected, The Daily News reports.

If the fee continues to produce extra cash for the MTA, the agency will exceed the $20 million in new revenues and savings that it anticipated when drafting the budget, the executive said.

The $1 surcharge, imposed in March, was expected to generate an estimated $18 million in revenue this year. Printing fewer cards and reducing cleanup costs was expected to save an additional $2 million.

The extra revenue will likely put pressure on the agency to make system improvements and service restorations, the News reports.

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Angry straphangers have launched a campaign in an attempt to “swipe back” at the MTA for raising fares.

The “No Fare Hikes” campaign is encouraging riders with Unlimited MetroCards to swipe other riders through the turnstiles for free as a way to protest fare hikes. The action is legal.

The campaign’s website says: “If you use your unlimited card to swipe someone else in, then you’re effectively helping them boycott the fare hike.”

Campaigners are broadcasting their message via fliers and Twitter. They are also handing out “swipe back!” buttons.

MTA fare hikes go into effect this weekend. The fare for a single subway or bus ride goes up from $2.25 to $2.50 beginning at 12 a.m. on Sunday. An unlimited MetroCard will go up from $104 to $112.

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Another MTA fare hike is in store for New Yorkers beginning this weekend. Prices are going up for all New York City subways and buses, as well as tolls for bridges and tunnels and fares for the Long Island Railroad and Metro-North.

Beginning 12 a.m. on Sunday, the price of a single subway or bus ride will go up from $2.25 to $2.50. A monthly MetroCard will go up from $104 to $112. A 7-day unlimited MetroCard will cost $30, up from $29. The pay-per-ride bonus discount is also being reduced, from 7 percent to 5 percent.

For express buses, the cost of one ride goes up from $5.50 to $6.00. The 7-day express bus plus MetroCard will cost $55, up from $50.

Higher tolls also go into effect on Sunday, with tolls at most bridges and tunnels going up from $4.80 to $5.33 for E-ZPass customers, and from $6.50 to $7.50 for those paying cash.

Long Island Railroad and Metro-North customers will have to shell out more money beginning Friday, with fares increasing by between 8.2 percent and 9.3 percent.

The MTA announced the fare hike proposals in October, citing need for additional revenue to fill its budget deficit.

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