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City Council pushes to expand NYC's half-priced MetroCard program
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 4, 2023
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Gothamist
By
Stephen Nessen
Published Apr 4, 2023
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The City Council is pushing to expand the city’s Fair Fares program, which offers half-priced MetroCards to low-income New Yorkers.
The program was created in 2019 with a budget of $106 million. At the time, the city estimated 800,000 people living at or below the federal poverty level would qualify.
But now, city data shows roughly 283,000 people are enrolled in the program — and its budget stood at $75 million last year.
On Monday, the City Council demanded the funding for Fair Fares increase to $136.5 million — and also called for more New Yorkers to be eligible for the half-priced rides – in a response to Mayor Eric Adams' proposed budget for next fiscal year.
The Council wants to expand the program to any New Yorker whose income is up to twice the federal poverty level. It would double the current limit, which prohibits a family of four whose income exceeds $27,750 a year from qualifying for the discounted rates.
“There are many more low-income individuals with limited resources who rely on public transit and are not eligible for the program,” the Council wrote in its response.
The change would expand the number of city residents eligible for the program to 1.7 million, up from 932,000 who currently qualify, according to an analysis from the Community Service Society of New York.
"Expanding Fair Fares is a critical investment in the success of New York's working families and communities,” CSSNY CEO David Jones and the Riders Alliance's Executive Director Betsy Plum wrote in a joint statement. “By expanding both funding and eligibility, the Council's budget response takes a major step forward toward a fairer New York.”
In 2020, the city cut the budget for the Fair Fares program to $41 million, as transit ridership plummeted during the pandemic. The budget increased to $75 million last year — but enrollment has remained relatively flat since then. A survey published by CSSNY in 2021 found that roughly 20% of New Yorkers who are eligible for the Fair Fares discount didn't even know the program existed.
Last year, the MTA created a “blue ribbon panel” to address fare evasion on buses and the subway. The panel — which is still yet to issue its report — is considering how to promote the Fair Fares program to get more eligible New Yorkers to enroll.
“We applaud the City Council’s proposal to expand access to transit equity, and by proposing to nearly double the funding for the Fair Fares program, more socioeconomically disadvantaged New Yorkers who rely on mass transit the most will be able to pursue education and employment opportunities throughout the city,” MTA spokesperson Michael Cortez wrote in a statement.
The city’s annual budget is due at the end of June.
Tagged
new york city
Politics
transportation
Stephen Nessen
Stephen Nessen covers transportation. Since 2008 he has reported on everything from Occupy Wall Street, the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, Hurricane Sandy, to Trump’s campaign for president. His transportation reporting has taken him everywhere from the MTA’s secret Rail Control Center to the gleaming subways of Seoul. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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