New York is expensive. Half of the City’s households cannot comfortably afford to live here. These New Yorkers are struggling to pay for the essentials, like housing, food, healthcare, and transportation. We believe in our shared responsibility to help our neighbors in need – that we must not harden our hearts nor shut our hands to vulnerable members of our community. That is why we are fighting to expand eligibility for the Fair Fares program, which offers half-priced bus and subway fares to New Yorkers with low incomes. It is a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of residents for whom every dollar counts.
Today, only those with incomes beneath the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are eligible for Fair Fares. The federal poverty level is the same no matter where you live in the U.S., whether in Kansas or Queens. For a household of four, the FPL is an annual income of $30,000. For a single resident, it’s just $14,580.
Applying this standard in New York City does not make sense and excludes far too many residents in poverty. Surveys show hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers with incomes between 100% and 200% of the federal poverty level struggle to afford public transit. That is why the New York City Council – alongside partner organizations and advocates like Community Service Society (CSS) and Riders Alliance – is calling on Mayor Adams to increase the Fair Fares eligibility threshold to 200% of the federal poverty line.
The Council is currently negotiating with the Mayor over next year’s budget and has requested the administration increase Fair Fares funding by $61.5 million to expand the program and meet demand among those newly eligible. This modest investment (less than .1% of the City’s operating budget) will go a long way toward ensuring vulnerable New Yorkers can get around and make ends meet.
Expanding Fair Fares would increase overall fare box revenue and help improve transit service. This week, the MTA reported that fare evasion on subways and…
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