“Fair Fares is about to become more fair for more people, thanks to Council Speaker Menin and Mayor Mamdani. No one should have to choose between a meal or a fare, and today they took a crucial step to opening our city’s subways and buses to the people who need it most.  

“Increasing eligibility to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level would have been a difficult hurdle to clear in any year, but was made significantly more challenging by the budget shortcomings left by the previous Mayoral Administration. The budget agreement will unlock the incredible opportunities the MTA system can provide to approximately 340,000 residents to save up to $910 per year on their transit expenses.

“Over the past year, New York City riders have asked their elected officials to prioritize more affordable transit, demanding equitable access to jobs, education, and much more. Today’s announcement of an expansion of the Fair Fares program to 200% delivers on that promise for riders.”  

The post Fair Fares Expansion Applauded by MTA Riders appeared first on PCAC.

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! 

The post The Final Push for Expanding Fair Fares appeared first on PCAC.

Dear Mayor Mamdani,

At no point since the Great Depression has affordability been so vital to so many New York City residents. Transportation is a critical component of this equation, as one in five New Yorkers struggles to pay the fare. We write today to urge you to expand the Fair Fares program in this year’s city budget. Our expansion proposals, detailed below, will save over two million New Yorkers up to $910 per year on their transit costs, while also cutting commute times for New Yorkers in parts of the city without subway access. 

First launched in 2019, Fair Fares offers half-fare subway, bus, and paratransit rides to low-income New Yorkers ages 18-64, and is a crucial lifeline of affordability for over 360,000 currently enrolled individuals. The program began in 2019 with an income limit of 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and was expanded incrementally to 120% in 2023, 145% in 2024, and 150% in 2025, following staunch advocacy from our organizations and partnership with the city and MTA. The City currently allocates just over $96 million in baseline funding to the Fair Fares program, with an additional $25 million allocated for FY2026 to address the incremental increase.

As we discussed in more detail in our recently released report, Universal Affordable Transit for New York, no other city program has the power to improve transportation equity – and lives – while simultaneously addressing our city’s affordability crisis.

Even if our buses and paratransit become free, millions of struggling New Yorkers will still need to use the subway. This year, over 65% of taps from Fair Fares users were on the subway. Fair Fares also helps riders avoid fare evasion by ensuring fewer riders are unable to pay, and comes as the MTA is about to begin testing new fare gates that will make it much harder to avoid paying. For these reasons, we believe it’s time to unlock the full potential of the Fair Fares program with the five program changes:

1.      Expand Fair Fares to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) (individual- $46,950, four-person household- $96,450). This would allow an estimated 2.1 million New Yorkers to participate in the program at 300% of the FPL.
Additional Cost beyond the FY26 baseline: ~$125 – $155 million

2.      Fully free for households under 150% of the FPL (individual- $23,475, four-person household- $48,225). This would allow for an estimated 1.3 million New Yorkers to have unlimited access to subway, bus, and paratransit service.  Additional Cost beyond the FY26 baseline: ~$150 – $175 million

3.      Expand Fair Fares with half-priced fares on MTA Express Buses and CityTickets on the LIRR and Metro-North railroads within New York City, drastically reducing commute times for tens of thousands of New Yorkers in subway deserts.                                                      

4.      Automatic Enrollment of qualified households to improve the current enrollment rate. Currently, only around a third of eligible households are enrolled, a dismal amount. According to independent research, automatic enrollment could boost program uptake by an additional 33%.

5.      Close program loopholes, such as on Access-a-Ride for qualifying seniors, who currently pay half fare as program participants until age 64 and then pay full fare at age 65.

Recent research found that Fair Fares’ current eligibility threshold is lower than that of most similar programs across the United States, despite our highest-in-the-nation transit ridership and infamous cost of living. Yet City Hall can make affordability a reality in this year’s budget by transforming Fair Fares.

Thank you so much for your careful consideration and attention to the needs of New Yorkers. We are available to meet with you at your convenience.                                    

             Respectfully signed,

David Jones, President & CEO, Community Service Society

Betsy Plum, Executive Director, Riders Alliance

Lisa Daglian, Executive Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC)

John Samuelsen, International President, Transport Workers Union (TWU)

Manny Pastreich, President, Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ

Tori Newman-Campbell, Legislative Coordinator, Service Employees International Union, Local 1199

Stuart Appelbaum, President, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU)

Kate Slevin, Executive Vice President, Regional Plan Association 

Sara Lind, Co-Executive Director, Open Plans

Jeremy Saunders & Alyssa Aguilera, Co-Executive Directors, VOCAL-NY 

Jean Ryan, President, Disabled In Action of Metropolitan NY 

Alia Soomro, Deputy Director for NYC Policy, New York League of Conservation Voters

Michelle Jackson, Executive Director, Human Services Council of New York

Eric McClure, Executive Director, StreetsPAC

Lonnie J. Portis, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, WE ACT for Environmental Justice

Olivia Leirer, Executive Director, New York Communities for Change 

Wayne Ho, President & CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC)

Zakiyah Shaakir-Ansari, Co-Executive Director, Alliance for Quality Education 

Elizabeth Adams, Deputy Director for Public Affairs, Transportation Alternatives

Kalilah Moon, Executive Director, Drive Change 

Daisy Chung, Campaigns Director, ALIGN: The Alliance for a Greater New York

Rebecca Bailin, Executive Director, New Yorkers United for Childcare

Monifa Bandele, NY Coordinating Committee, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement

Ben Fuller-Googins, Executive Director, Carroll Gardens Association

Galloway, Advocacy Manager, Ali Forney Center

Rachael Fauss, Senior Policy Advisor, Reinvent Albany

Michael Ring, Co-Coordinator, Transportation Equity Working Group, Downstate NY ADAPT

Jaeok Kim, interim director of the Greater Justice New York initiative, Vera Institute of Justice

Murad Awawdeh, President & CEO, New York Immigration Coalition

Jessica Murray, Organizer, Rise and Resist Elevator Action Group

Dr. Sharon McLennon Wier, Executive Director, Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York (CIDNY)

Christopher Schuyler, Managing Attorney, Disability Justice Program, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest

Natasha Elder, Regional Director and Straphangers Campaign Coordinator, New York Public Interest Research Group

Jaqi Cohen, Director of Climate and Equity Policy, Tri-State Transportation Campaign

Elmer Flores, Statewide Policy & Advocacy Manager, NEW Pride Agenda

Will Watts, Deputy Executive Director for Advocacy, Coalition for the Homeless

Lorena Kourousias, Executive Director, Mixteca Organization, Inc. 

Annetta Seecharran, Executive Director, Chhaya CDC

Yoon Ji Kim, Interim Executive Director, MinKwon Center for Community Action

Helen Strom, Benefits and Homeless Advocacy Director, Safety Net Project at the Urban Justice Center

Cc: Honorable Julie Menin
Speaker, New York City Council
City Hall
New York, NY 10007

The post Budget Letter to Mayor Mamdani Regarding the Expansion of the Fair Fares Program appeared first on PCAC.

Good afternoon, I’m Brian Fritsch, Associate Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC. For nearly 50 years, PCAC has served as the official voice of riders on the MTA system. A huge thank you to Speaker Menin, General Welfare Chair Hudson, and Majority Leader and Transportation Chair Abreufor holding this hearing today and continuing to prioritize expanding this program, improving equitable access to affordable transit for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.

At no point since the Great Depression has affordability been so vital to so many New York City residents. As the MTA recently noted, transit plays a huge role in that complicated equation, and one of the very few ways New York City is more affordable than other parts of the country. Yet we can do so much more.

First launched in 2019, Fair Fares offers half-fare subway, bus, and paratransit rides to low-income New Yorkers ages 18-64, and is a crucial lifeline of affordability for over 360,000 currently enrolled individuals. The program began in 2019 with an income limit of 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and was expanded incrementally to 120% in 2023, 145% in 2024, and 150% in 2025, following staunch advocacy from our organizations and partnership with the city and MTA. The city currently allocates just over $96 million in baseline funding to the Fair Fares program.

The Fair Fares program can literally change people’s lives. It offers an unparalleled opportunity to expand access to opportunity, jobs, education, and more, but far too few people qualify under the currently too-low eligibility threshold: if you make minimum wage, you almost certainly make too much. Too few of the people who do qualify are enrolled, and that’s a lost opportunity: New Yorkers who could be saving up to $910 per year in transit costs are instead getting nothing at all. 

As we discussed in more detail in our report from December of last year, Universal Affordable Transit for New York, no other city program has the power to improve transportation equity – and lives – while simultaneously addressing our city’s affordability crisis. Even if our buses and paratransit become free, millions of struggling New Yorkers will still need to use the subway. Last year, over 65% of taps from Fair Fares users were on the subway. Fair Fares also helps riders avoid fare evasion by ensuring fewer riders are unable to pay, and comes as the MTA is about to begin testing new fare gates that will make it much harder to avoid paying.

For these reasons, we believe it’s time to unlock the full potential of the Fair Fares program with the five program changes:

1.      Expand Fair Fares to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) (individual- $46,950, four-person household- $96,450). This would allow an estimated 2.1 million New Yorkers to participate in the program at 300% of the FPL, including minimum wage workers, for the first time.
Additional Cost beyond the FY26 baseline: ~$125 – $155 million

2.      Fully free for households under 150% of the FPL (individual- $23,475, four-person household- $48,225). This would allow for an estimated 1.3 million New Yorkers to have unlimited access to subway, bus, and paratransit service. Deepening affordability is essential to the riders who need it most.                          
Additional Cost beyond the FY26 baseline: ~$150 – $175 million

3.      Expand Fair Fares with half-priced fares on MTA Express Buses and CityTickets on the LIRR and Metro-North railroads within New York City, drastically reducing commute times for tens of thousands of New Yorkers in subway deserts.                                                     

4.      Automatic Enrollment of qualified households to improve the current enrollment rate. Currently, only around a third of eligible households are enrolled, a dismal amount. According to a new survey from the Community Service Society of New York, automatic enrollment could boost program uptake by 50% to around 570,000 enrollees, immediately unlocking benefits for nearly 200,000 New Yorkers who already qualify for another Human Resources Administration (HRA)-administered program.

5.      Close program loopholes, such as on Access-a-Ride for qualifying seniors, who currently pay half fare as program participants until age 64 and then pay full fare at age 65.

The Fair Fares Program is that tool, but it’s been underutilized and consistently overlooked. Currently, only an estimated 35-40% of the over 1 million eligible New Yorkers are enrolled in the program, and as a result, it is chronically underfunded.

HRA needs to step up and develop a plan to reduce the hurdles low-income New Yorkers face in getting enrolled. We believe now is the time to pursue automatic enrollment in this program, which could double enrollment and give New Yorkers a much more affordable way to get to jobs, education, appointments, and more.

Thank you again for holding this hearing, prioritizing the Fair Fares program in the council’s budget, and for the opportunity to testify today. With the Council’s help, we believe we can, in this year’s budget, turn the Fair Fares program from a good idea into one that will transform how New Yorkers get around their city.

The post Fair Fares Has the Power to Transform New York Transportation appeared first on PCAC.

Nobody wants a strike. It would be exceptionally tough on workers, riders, the MTA and LIRR, and the regional economy.  

At PCAC, we do not take sides on the MTA’s labor-related matters, but we will stand up for the needs of riders in any situation. And many Long Island residents, including nurses, teachers, construction workers, and more, do not have the option to work from home, even if traveling to their jobs will be arduous. We agree with you that the best thing to do is not go on strike, so you don’t have to find contingency plans for all the daily commuters, not to mention upcoming weekend warriors. But those who fail to plan, etc.  

If there is a strike next month, riders cannot be left in the lurch. They cannot be collateral damage in this calamity. There must be a clear and reasonable way to get people to and from key points in both Nassau and Suffolk counties into New York City and back home without the railroad. 

We know the highways can’t carry over a quarter of a million additional people, and we do not expect the effort to be perfect, but it should at least be much more robust and comprehensive than the contingency plan presented last September, when only Bellmore, Hicksville, and Ronkonkoma were offered as shuttle bus locations into the city. Wars will be waged over parking. 

NICE bus will be able to pick up some slack for some Nassau commuters to get to key subway points in Queens, but we urge the railroad to be prepared with more sites across Long Island with ample parking, maximizing the number of essential workers and riders who simply don’t have any other choice but to get to their jobs or the crucial appointments they might have. 

Again, it is our sincere hope that an agreement is reached in time, but in the event it isn’t, we hope the railroad will do its utmost to still get people where they must go. Thank you.  

The post Contingency Planning will Avert Collateral Calamity- LIRR/Metro-North Joint Committee Testimony appeared first on PCAC.

Good morning, I’m Brian Fritsch, Associate Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC.

We recently released a new report, called Ridership Returns, analyzing the changing commuting patterns on the subway post-congestion pricing. Using travel data from the MTA’s open data program, we found that subway ridership grew by 7.7% in 2025, double the 3.7% growth seen in 2024, showing a strong bounce back a year after slowing post-pandemic growth. Growth in discretionary travel is outpacing weekday rush hour growth, showing riders are choosing transit even when they have other options.

In short, the data in the report is clear: Congestion Pricing is working! It’s yet another line on the long list of successes for the program, which also includes some recent legal victories against Secretary Duffy.

We hope and expect we will soon add another legal win over the Feds on Second Avenue Subway funding, and are glad the board is keeping the project moving.

We were also thrilled to hear about the RFP for almost 2,400 new subway cars, the MTA’s largest ever order. We look forward to enhanced security and accessibility features, as well as lighter, more energy-efficient rolling stock.

We also can’t wait to try out the upgraded MTA app and look forward to the forthcoming updates to better integrate OMNY transactions and the railroads.

Ending today with three quick points of caution: First, we are pushing the NYCDOE to work harder to help get digital OMNY cards off the ground. Students deserve an OMNY card that they can rely on.

Second, we are strongly opposed to any efforts to dismantle or create unworkable loopholes in the MTA’s ACE program, and released a memo against one such effort in the State Legislature.

Third, we are very concerned about Amtrak’s lack of transparency around the Penn Station project. It seems like the master developer will be picked in around a month with almost no meaningful public input. Thank you.

The post Ridership Returns! MTA Board Testimony appeared first on PCAC.

Good afternoon, I’m Brian Fritsch, Associate Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC.

We were thrilled to hear about the RFP for 2,390 subway cars, the MTA’s largest ever order and a key part of the 2025-29 capital plan. The R62 and R62As have served the MTA and riders well, but we’re very excited about the enhanced security and accessibility features, the push for lighter rolling stock to make the trains more energy-efficient, and more trains with an open gangway design to add capacity and make subway surfing nearly impossible. Replacing over 36% of the fleet is a huge endeavor, and we look forward to hearing more about the final design choices.

The MTA is building, while Washington tries to halt infrastructure investment and kill jobs. Their refusal to honor the Full Funding Grant Agreement for the Second Avenue Subway is a farce, and we applaud Governor Hochul and the MTA for taking the Feds to court. You’d think, at this point, after congestion pricing, counterterrorism funding, and the Gateway Program, Secretary Duffy would be tired of losing funding fights and lawsuits with New York, but here we are again. As we told Jose Martinez of the City, “this crap is getting old.” We hope for a quick and clear resolution.

Finally, we’re looking forward to the updates on the OMNY transition today. We’ve heard from our members and riders who feel the system has made immense reliability improvements over the last half year. We’re also pleased to hear that more customer-facing enhancements are on the way, including integration with the MTA app and critical info on reader screens that riders have asked for. We also are pushing the NYCDOE to work harder to help get digital OMNY cards off the ground. Students deserve an OMNY card that they can rely on.

Thank you.

The post New Rolling Stock, 2nd Ave Lawsuit, and OMNY appeared first on PCAC.

An act to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to excluding violations occurring within a certain distance from a place of worship, funeral home, or similar institution from bus operation-related traffic regulations

The Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) opposes S.8634 (Fernandez) – A.9565 (Taylor), which seeks to amend section 1111-c-1 of the vehicle and traffic law to clarify that certain bus operation-related traffic regulation violations shall not apply when such conduct occurs within one hundred feet of a place of worship, funeral home, or similar institution as part of participation in a ceremony or religious service.

While we appreciate this bill’s intent, we believe it is both detrimental to the needs of New York City’s two million daily bus riders and extremely difficult (if not impossible) to implement responsibly.

New York City’s buses are the slowest in the United States, largely due to double parking in bus lanes by single-occupancy and delivery vehicles. The Legislature first authorized automated enforcement for Select Bus Service in 2010. Recognizing the success of this program, Governor Hochul and the Legislature acted in 2023 to expand its use.

Today, bus operation regulations, including the MTA’s Automated Camera Enforcement (ACE) system, are active on 54 bus routes that carry over 980,000 average weekday riders, serving as a crucial tool to help speed up miserably slow buses, which average just over eight miles per hour. Data shows this program increases bus speeds by 5% and reduces collisions by 20%. Implemented in tandem with other improvements, such as transit signal priority and bus lanes, ACE is a powerful tool to speed up our slowest-in-the-nation buses.  

Congregants and funeral attendees are bus riders too, often reaping the benefits of the ACE program. Creating loopholes in the program would set a disastrous precedent, creating uncertainty about where and when the program may be enforced, particularly because service times for houses of worship and funeral services can change daily, sometimes with little notice, making enforcement extremely challenging.

An alternative to this bill seeking to solve the same problem might instead encourage the New York City Department of Transportation to establish dedicated passenger loading/unloading zones for places of worship and funeral homes outside dedicated bus lanes. Dedicated passenger zones are safer and more efficient for passengers, particularly seniors and persons with disabilities, and could be placed to work in tandem with bus stops rather than in conflict with them.

We believe creating a piecemeal approach to the ACE program is a disservice to transit riders and a marked retreat from Governor Hochul, Mayor Mamdani, and the Legislature’s ongoing commitment to faster, more frequent bus service for millions of daily riders. 

For these reasons, the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) urges New York State Legislators to oppose S.7785/A.8842.

The post MEMO OF OPPOSITION S.8634 (Fernandez) – A.9565 (Taylor) appeared first on PCAC.

Good afternoon, I’m Brian Fritsch, Associate Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC. For nearly 50 years, PCAC has served as the official voice of riders on the MTA system.

Just over a month ago, we organized a letter from a broad range of unions, transit and disability rights advocates, social and immigrant service organizations, and community and good government groups who believe City Hall can make transit affordability a reality in this year’s budget by transforming the Fair Fares program.

Our five-point plan includes expanding eligibility to at least 300% of the federal poverty level–to finally include workers making at or close to the minimum wage–fully free fares for the lowest-income New Yorkers at the current level of 150%; and adding the commuter railroads and express buses as options. The program also needs automatic enrollment, as only a dismal third of eligible New Yorkers are enrolled. 

In addition to Fair Fares, we have been ardent supporters of faster and more reliable bus service across the city. We urge you and Mayor Mamdani to work together to better fund DOT so the agency can actually meet the legal mandates of the Streets Plan and to make it easier, not harder, for DOT to build bus lanes and busways.

We also believe a Bus Rapid Transit network starting with one or two world-class routes as a proof of concept, will serve as a North star for what it could mean to deliver world class service, which our world class city – and its riders – deserve. We look forward to working with you, the Mamdani Administration and our colleagues in advocacy to make BRT in NYC a reality. That means installing protected bus lanes aligned to the center of streets, transit signal priority, left turn bans and queue jumps, and building accessible BRT stations with level boarding.

Two final key issues: First, we strongly oppose any efforts, be it from the Council or State Legislature, to dismantle or create unworkable loopholes in the MTA’s Automated Camera Enforcement program or ACE. ACE is essential as it increases bus speeds by 5% and reduces collisions by 20%. Second, we also hope the city will work with the MTA to ensure the agency has enough bus depot capacity to provide frequent and reliable service. As we work to create the excellent bus service this city deserves, depot space is a critical component that doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

The post Fair Fares + Fast Buses = Transit Success appeared first on PCAC.

Good afternoon, I’m Brian Fritsch, Associate Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC. For nearly 50 years, PCAC has served as the official voice of riders on the MTA system.

This past election, New Yorkers delivered a clear call to city government to do everything they can to fight our affordability crisis, a daunting job. But sometimes the right tool to do that work doesn’t need to be bought; it’s right in your toolbox, waiting to be used.

The Fair Fares Program is that tool, but it’s been overlooked. Currently, only an estimated 35% of the over 1 million eligible New Yorkers are enrolled in the program, and as a result, it is chronically underfunded. This means hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who could be saving up to $910 per year in transit costs are instead getting nothing at all. 

HRA needs to step up and develop a plan to reduce the hurdles low-income New Yorkers face in getting enrolled. After all, how many residents are already in the HRA Connect System, are known to be eligible based on income verification for another program, yet are not receiving Fair Fares? Too many. We believe now is the time to pursue automatic enrollment in this program, which could double enrollment and give New Yorkers a much more affordable way to get to jobs, education, appointments, and more. Use the tools you already have in your toolbox. We’d also love to see more data released on existing enrollees, including demographics, locations by council districts, and more.

Just over a month ago, we organized a letter from a broad range of unions, transit and disability rights advocates, social and immigrant service organizations, and community and good government groups who believe City Hall can make transit affordability a reality in this year’s budget by transforming the Fair Fares program.

Our five-point plan includes expanding eligibility to at least 300% of the federal poverty level—to finally include workers making at or near the minimum wage—fully free fares for the lowest-income New Yorkers at the current level of 150%; and adding commuter railroads and express buses as options. Let’s get people to work, with the tools in our bag.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.

The post Fair Fares is an Essential Tool to Delivering Affordability appeared first on PCAC.