New York City Transit Committee Testimony
Monday, June 22nd, 2026
Good morning, I’m Brian Fritsch, Associate Director for the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC. I want to start by thanking the entire NYCT staff for keeping the city running as the World Cup kicked off and the Knicks ran to the title. Amazing work, keep it up.
Over the next week, Mayor Mamdani and Speaker Menin will finalize the New York City Budget. There’s a lot to be excited about, including funding the bus infrastructure that will allow our buses to move faster and more reliably.
The budget will also determine whether we will see an expansion of the Fair Fares program, to deliver on the promise of transportation affordability that so clearly resonated with voters last November.
Many of you in this room have advocated for Fair Fares for years, and I’m asking you to do so one more time at a critical point for the program’s future.
Fair Fares improves access to jobs, education, and more, but far too few people qualify: if you make minimum wage, you make too much. The city can change this. We are asking the mayor and council to unlock the full potential of Fair Fares by:
1. Expanding Fair Fares to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
2. Making it fully free at the current threshold of 150% FPL – particularly for those in shelters or facing housing insecurity
3. Expanding half-fares to Express Buses and CityTickets on the railroads
4. Implementing Automatic Enrollment and
5. Expanding half-fares for qualifying Paratransit users aged 65 and older
All of these initiatives can be implemented at a cost the city can afford, as a recent report from the Independent Budget Office indicated.
Please act now by asking the administration to expand Fair Fares. With your help over the next seven days, we can change Fair Fares from just a good idea into one that will transform how New Yorkers get around their city. Thank you!