With affordability top of mind, working New Yorkers earning up to 200% of the federal poverty line urge Mayor Adams to support a 50% discount on transit
New York- Today, transit riders, and advocates rallied at City Hall to call for the expansion of Fair Fares to all New Yorkers earning up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) in the forthcoming city budget. Fair Fares has become an indispensable program for over 350,000 subway and bus riders since its launch in 2019, providing eligible riders with half-off subway and bus fares.
Late last year, City leaders expanded the program’s eligibility to people living at 145% of FPL. However, at this level, which is $22,692 for an individual or $46,617 for a family of four, over 415,000 low-income New Yorkers, including many of those working long hours for minimum wage, continue to be ineligible. Analysis shows that by expanding Fair Fares to 200% of the FPL from 145%, the City has the opportunity to make over 415,000 more New Yorkers eligible for the program, including 160,000 regular commuters.
The Council and the Mayoral Administration baselined $95 million in funding for the program in the Fiscal Year 2024 budget and additional funding in Fiscal Year 2025 to increase eligibility from 120% to 145%. The Council and advocates are pushing to raise eligibility to 200% of the FPL before the General Welfare Budget Hearing, where Fair Fares program administrators from the NYC Human Resources Administration presented to the City Council.
“New Yorkers are facing an affordability crisis that is pushing them to the brink, and it’s our responsibility to alleviate the pressures caused by rising costs,” said Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. “Working together with advocates and straphangers, the Council is proud to have secured additional investments that increase eligibility for Fair Fares, providing nearly 200,000 more New Yorkers with access to discounted public transit fares. Yet, too many families are still unable to access our public transportation system. The Council continues to push for this critical program to reach New Yorkers living up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, because it can unlock expanded opportunity in every corner of our city that strengthens our communities and economy.”
“Fair Fares is critical to making transit affordable, but to reach the New Yorkers who need it, the budget needs to expand Fair Fares to cover those with incomes at 200% of the federal poverty level. Extending eligibility will give more working New Yorkers a much-needed discount to ride subways and buses, connecting thousands to jobs, education, and new opportunities at half the cost,” said Brad Lander, New York City Comptroller.
“Fair Fares is a lifeline for low-income commuters, and it’s time that we extend that lifeline even further,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “As costs have skyrocketed across the city, Fair Fares has gone a long way to make life more affordable for many New Yorkers living below the federal poverty line, and I have been a proud supporter of expansions to the program. Thank you to the Council Members, advocates, and everyday commuters for continuing the call for expanding Fair Fares’ eligibility.”
“With many New Yorkers’ budgets already stretched thin by the very high cost of living, the subway and bus is too often an expense that’s out of reach. The expansion of the Fair Fares program to 145% of the federal poverty line last year was an important step to make public transit more affordable, but we must now increase Fair Fares’ eligibility to cover all New Yorkers in need,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “By raising eligibility to 200% of the federal poverty level, we can make it so that hundreds of thousands more low-income New Yorkers can get the relief they need to afford the cost of transit.”
“Working-class New Yorkers are already paying exorbitant costs for housing, food and more, with the cost of living continuing to rise. By expanding the eligibility threshold for the vitally important Fair Fares program, we can help lower the cost of transit for hard-working families across New York City, increase subway and bus ridership and ensure our mass transit system is accessible to all,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “Government should be in the business of making the lives of our families easier and our city more affordable. So I’m proud to join my colleagues in this righteous fight.”
“Despite being a game-changer for low-income New Yorkers, the Fair Fares program has yet to reach its full potential to transform our mass transit system into a gateway to economic opportunity for all New Yorkers struggling with transit affordability. Awareness of the program still remains low for eligible populations. Indeed, our research shows that even New Yorkers earning more than 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level are struggling to afford the transit fare,” said David R. Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society and MTA Board Member. “We applaud the Mayor, Council Speaker and the New York City Council for supporting the growth of the program to 145 percent of poverty. But it’s time to expand eligibility for the program to New Yorkers earning up to 200 percent of the FPL and spread the economic benefits of Fair Fares to more New Yorkers.”
“Fair Fares is a lifeline for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers but too many riders barely making ends meet are shut out entirely,” said Danna Dennis, Senior Organizer, Riders Alliance. “Even with last year’s expansion, the program isn’t close to fulfilling its promise or reaching nearly enough struggling families. Riders thank Speaker Adams and our partners at the Community Service Society and Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA for their steadfast support. We urge Mayor Adams to get on board and increase eligibility to 200% of the poverty line now.”
“The Fair Fares program has the power to improve transportation equity–and lives–while simultaneously addressing our city’s affordability crisis, and we thank Speaker Adams and the City Council for continuing to push for expanding the program,” said Brian Fritsch, Associate Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA. “Nearly all other cities use 200% as their income eligibility limit, and most also offer discounts on their commuter rail systems, which New York City currently does not do. Minimum wage workers deserve to be included in this program, and we were especially pleased to see the New York State Senate include the expansion of Fair Fares to 200% and to the railroads last week and encourage the City to take similar action immediately.”
“Expanding Fair Fares eligibility by increasing the Federal Poverty Level threshold is a necessary step toward true transit equity in New York City. Too many low-income New Yorkers are still forced to choose between a MetroCard and basic necessities,” said Natasha Elder, NYC Regional Director and Straphangers Campaign Coordinator. “Raising the threshold will ensure that more students, families, seniors, and vulnerable residents can access the affordable transportation they need to reach jobs, education, and essential services. As the cost of living rises, our transit policies must keep pace to prevent further hardship and make New York a city that truly works for everyone.”
Eligibility at 200% of the FPL would:
- Allow over 415,000 more residents to become eligible for the program, including over 160,000 regular commuters who travel to or from work or school on a daily basis.
- 42 of 51 Council districts would see at least 1500 more commuters newly eligible for Fair Fares at 200% FPL.
- Give Brooklyn the greatest increase in residents who would become eligible for Fair Fares at nearly 134,000 people, followed by Queens at 123,000, the Bronx at 86,000, Manhattan at 54,000, and Staten Island at 20,000.
- Prior analysis from the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA showed that residents in working-class neighborhoods, including Sunset Park, Brownsville, Flushing, Elmhurst/Jackson Heights, Morrisania, and Highbridge, would benefit most from an expansion of the program.
- Beyond the Central Business District, there is a strong correlation between areas where fare evasion summonses are most prevalent and areas that will see the greatest increase in newly eligible Fair Fares riders.
- Among national peers, New York’s Fair Fares program has the most restrictive income requirements despite being the metro area with the highest cost of living and having the highest poverty rates of major cities with comparable programs.
- Expansion of the Fair Fares program to LIRR and Metro-North trains within New York City would increase access for a significant number of residents below 200% of poverty, especially in portions of the Bronx and Queens that do not have easy subway access. 90% of city LIRR and Metro-North stations are close to communities where over a fifth of residents would qualify for Fair Fares.
- In the Council districts containing LIRR and Metro-North stations in NYC, 143,567 potential LIRR and 160,892 potential Metro-North riders—a collective 304,459—would qualify for Fair Fares at 200% FPL.