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“The Executive Budget released by Governor Hochul today builds on her State of the State and continues to show her strong support for the region’s transit riders. Her commitment to operating, maintaining and improving our trains and buses – while investing in expanding the system and enhancing safety – adds to her legacy as a prolific builder, with her excellent partner in Janno Lieber. The transformative transportation projects she is touting will help reshape the riding experience for millions for years to come, and we thank her. We look forward to working with her and the Senate and Assembly to get critical funding and these projects to the finish line.”

The post Governor Hochul’s Executive Budget Puts Riders on Fast Track appeared first on PCAC.

Governor Hochul’s State of the State is a love letter to transit riders and another testament to her commitment to our region’s infrastructure and economy.  Taken together, her proposals focus on increasing access to our vital transit system, improving safety for riders and New Yorkers in need of services, and making it easier to build affordable housing and combat our climate crisis.  

SAS Phase II, westward expansion:

“The Second Avenue Subway has been a century in the making, and it’s finally going to bring better transit access to East Harlem, long promised since the destruction of the elevated decades ago. We applaud Governor Hochul’s commitment to extending the Second Avenue Subway westward on 125th Street, linking different seven subway lines and creating better crosstown, East Side, and Metro-North connections for Harlemites. This will truly be a transformative project for tens – if not hundreds – of thousands of riders, offering better access to jobs, education, shopping and entertainment.”

Jamaica Station Rehabilitation Project:

“Jamaica Station is the fourth busiest rail station in North America, and we are thrilled Governor Hochul is planning to give it the attention it deserves.  This is a project decades in the making. Our wish list for a reimagined Jamaica station includes ADA accessible elevators on the west end of the platforms, more plentiful seating, additional restrooms, new dining options and measures to shield commuters from the elements, especially during winter. Combined with the MTA’s current project to eliminate the ‘Jamaica crawl’ and funding for vertical improvements, we envision a day where riders will quickly and seamlessly move though the station no matter their destination.”

Expansion of the SCOUT Program:  

“Governor Hochul is again demonstrating her commitment to transit riders—and all New Yorkers – with her proposal to expand the SCOUT program. Addressing the slate of needs for people experiencing mental health crises through this transformative program has made a real difference, helping those who need it most while improving the riding experience for millions of New Yorkers every day.”

SEQR Reform:  

“SEQR reform is a crucial complement to transit-oriented development projects around the MTA region, simultaneously combating the housing affordability and climate change crises. We applaud Governor Hochul for taking on this common-sense legislation that will cut red tape and encourage more transit ridership across the region.”

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Plan builds on existing program framework; expands modes and reforms enrollment to reach more New Yorkers in every neighborhood

New York — As New York City transitions to a new mayoral administration, the Community Service Society, Riders Alliance, and the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA released a new whitepaper titled Universal Affordable Transit for New York, detailing how the Fair Fares program can deliver affordable transit and faster commutes to millions of subway, bus, paratransit and commuter railroad riders in New York City within the Mamdani Administration’s first 100 days.

First launched by The City of New York in 2019, Fair Fares offers half-fare transit rides to low-income New Yorkers ages 18-64, and is a crucial lifeline of affordability for nearly 375,000 currently enrolled New Yorkers making 150% or less of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Yet Fair Fares currently excludes too many, including minimum-wage workers. The program’s eligibility threshold is among the lowest in the U.S., and onerous bureaucracy has prevented nearly two-thirds of eligible New Yorkers from enrolling.

Half-price fares across all modes in New York City would finally allow riders to take the fastest, most convenient transit available to them, irrespective of income – enhancing access to opportunity, employment, education, and more. No other city program has the power to improve transportation equity – and lives – while simultaneously addressing our city’s affordability crisis, addressing persistent inequity, and reducing fare evasion. 

 The five-point expansion plan includes the following: 

1. Expand half fares to 300% of the FPL (individual – $46,950, four-person household – $96,450), allowing an estimated 2.1 million more New Yorkers to enroll in Fair Fares.        
2. Fully free subway and bus fares for the lowest-income New Yorkers, making 150% of less of FPL (individual – $23,475, four-person household – $48,225). This would save  1.3 million New Yorkers up to $910 per year.
3. Expand Fair Fares to MTA Express Buses and CityTickets on the LIRR and Metro-North railroads and further, with a weekly CityTicket that includes transfers to subways and buses – benefiting riders in subway deserts like Southeast Queens and the East Bronx.
4. Automatic Enrollment to reduce barriers for applicants, as only a third of eligible New Yorkers are currently enrolled. Operationally, this would mean the Human Resources Administration would mail eligible New Yorkers half-priced or free OMNY cards and cease requiring enrollees to renew annually by utilizing information provided for other programs.
5. Close Program Loopholes, such as half-price 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 began in 2019 with an income limit of 100% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), and was expanded incrementally to 120% of the FPL in 2023, 145% of the FPL in 2024, and 150% in 2025. In fiscal year 2026, the Council and the Mayoral Administration baselined just over $96 million in funding for the program and added an additional $25 million in funding to increase eligibility from 145% to 150% of the FPL. Though this progress is notable, New York City’s eligibility threshold remains among the lowest in the country.

“When we first launched Fair Fares—based on CSS research showing one in four low-income New Yorkers struggled to afford the bus and subway fare—we envisioned it as a game-changer that would help make our mass transit system a true gateway to economic opportunity,” said David R. Jones, President and CEO of the Community Service Society of New York and an MTA Board member. “Across consecutive administrations, we’ve seen incremental progress expanding the program to more New Yorkers. But in one of the most expensive cities in the world to live and work, too many working-class New Yorkers who rely on transit every day—and who face similar affordability pressures—are still excluded. Under the incoming Mamdani administration, we look forward to Fair Fares becoming the transformative program it was always meant to be.”

“Fair Fares is a lifeline for many low-income riders but it hasn’t yet achieved its promise to enhance freedom and opportunity for everyone who struggles to pay the fare,” said Riders Alliance Senior Organizer Danna Dennis. “By transforming Fair Fares with broader and deeper affordability and making our buses fast and free, the Mamdani administration will make it so much easier for more than two million New Yorkers to get around and get ahead in our city.”  

“The Fair Fares program is a crucial tool in delivering on Mayor-elect Mamdani’s mandate for affordability,” said Brian Fritsch, Associate Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA. “The framework we’ve released today charts a course towards a New York where every New Yorker, irrespective of income, can move around our city affordably and with dignity on whatever mode of transit works best for them.”

The benefits of Fair Fares expansion include:  

• Expanding Fair Fares to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level would make over 2 million, or 30% of New Yorkers, eligible for half-price or fully free transit fares.
• Over 1 million, or 13% more New Yorkers, would be eligible for half-price transit with the existing Fair Fares program expanded from the current threshold of 150% to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level.
• 37 of 51 City Council Districts would see over 25% of their residents eligible for Fair Fares.
• In the first ten months of 2025, 65.84% of Fair Fares taps and swipes were on the Subway, with  34.16% on the bus.
• 3.5% of all taps or swipes into the subway were with Fair Fares in the first ten months of 2025.
• Over 1 million, or 16% of New Yorkers aged 18-64, currently qualify for Fair Fares at 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, but only just under 375,000 are enrolled.
• Council districts in Southern and Central Brooklyn, Upper Manhattan, and the Bronx have the highest density of people who would benefit from fully free Fair Fares at 150% of the FPL.
• The LIRR offers significant time savings over buses in subway deserts like Southeast Queens and the East Bronx, but without Fair Fares on the railroads in New York City many cannot afford to ride.
• The Urban Institute found the City of Philadelphia’s use of automatic enrollment in its income-based fare discount program caused participation to soar to 63% – more than three times the national average. 

The post Press Release: Mamdani Administration, City Council Can Deliver Universally Affordable Transit in 100 Days via Expansion of Fair Fares appeared first on PCAC.

The White House’s edict via tweet to withhold $18 billion for the Hudson River Tunnel Project and phase two of the Second Avenue Subway – combined with their decision to withhold critical antiterrorism and public safety money for the MTA – are the latest examples of their blatant efforts to punish New York. But it’s about more than New York. History has shown that building and expanding key infrastructure projects are key to a strong economy and our national security. This double blow is completely contrary to what we know to be true. 

Tens of thousands of jobs hang in the balance and hundreds of billions in economic activity are at stake should these projects fail to move forward. These jobs and essential projects support not just New York but the entire region, and the working men and women who depend on them. We stand with Governor Hochul and the New York Congressional Delegation and urge them to fight this unconstitutional injustice with every ounce of their strength.  

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“LIRR commuters can breathe a sigh of relief that there will not be a strike for the foreseeable future, following today’s request for a Presidential Emergency Board from LIRR Bargaining Coalition union leaders. This action opens the door for discourse, dialogue, and discussion on how to achieve an outcome that best meets the needs of the riding public, railroad workers, and the LIRR. Avoiding the chaos and economic fallout of a strike is a win for LIRR riders, and we expect that with time and mediation, both sides will come to a reasonable agreement.”

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“It’s becoming clear that a LIRR strike would be a chaotic disaster for the region’s riders and our economy. Hundreds of thousands of commuters are left wondering how and if they will be able to get to work if a strike occurs. The MTA is putting into place contingency plans as it is able, but the best possible outcome would be for all parties to go back to the table to negotiate and/or agree to binding arbitration as the MTA has requested. LIRR riders deserve that consideration. ” 

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CityTicket, First Proposed by PCAC in 2001, Provides NYC Residents Greater Access to Affordable Commuter Rail Travel Between the Outerboroughs and Manhattan

Milestone Reached as Railroads Experience Record Year of Ridership and Performance

New York, NY – Governor Hochul today announced that Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) customers have saved more than $100 million since March 2022 by using CityTicket to travel within New York City on the Long Island Rail Road or Metro-North Railroad. The savings are measured against the cost of regular one-way peak and off-peak tickets. This milestone comes after Governor Hochul and the MTA expanded the CityTicket program from a weekend-only option to being available on all peak and off-peak trains in recent years.

“The results are in and it is clear: expanding CityTicket has been a huge affordability win for New Yorkers,” Governor Hochul said. “For years, residents of the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens had high-quality rail service right at their doorsteps, but the fare was just too high. Not anymore. By making LIRR and Metro-North service more affordable for city riders, we have welcomed millions of new customers, getting New Yorkers out of their cars and onto fast, reliable rail service in and out of Manhattan.”

Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee Lisa Daglian said, “CityTicket has improved the commute of millions for decades, and we’re thrilled with its overwhelming success. When PCAC first suggested it in 2001, we knew CityTicket would be transformative, but what we’re seeing is only possible with Governor Hochul’s ongoing support. CityTicket saves time and money, and its permanence is a testament to its importance. We’re looking forward to making CityTicket even better with a weekly option that includes a transfer to subways and buses.”

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “Thirty million customers can’t be wrong – the City Ticket is a smash success, saving New York City residents $100 million, plus a faster commute. It’s another proof point that low cost, reliable transit is one of our most important solutions to the affordability crisis, especially for folks outside Manhattan.”

The savings analysis is based on ticket sales from March 2022 through August 2025. Tickets are $5 off peak hours and $7 during peak hours anywhere within New York City on either LIRR or Metro-North, significantly less than the cost of point-to-point tickets prior to the start of the program. For the Long Island Rail Road, 30.4 million CityTickets were sold, totaling a cost savings of $83.2 million. For Metro-North Railroad, 6.8 million CityTickets were sold, totaling a cost savings of $17.6 million – achieving a combined $100.8 million in savings for customers.

CityTicket was originally introduced in October 2003 for weekend travel. On Feb. 25, 2022, the MTA expanded the CityTicket to all off-peak trains, including those on weekdays, providing more riders with an affordable option. On Jan. 10, 2023, Governor Hochul announced that the MTA would further expand the ticket’s validity to include peak travel, with further details provided subsequently by the MTA.

Between March 2022 and August 2023, the MTA collectively sold 7.5 million CityTickets. When the program was expanded to include peak trains in August of 2023, 29.7 million CityTickets were sold between September 2022 and August 2025.

At a time of surging railroad ridership across the MTA network, CityTicket expansion has seen ridership grow at city stations faster than systemwide baselines. From 2021 to 2025, monthly average ridership across the LIRR has grown 179%, while ridership grew by 183% at Rosedale, 215% at Queens Village, and 224% at Jamaica. Over 766,000 monthly riders now travel to and from Jamaica Station on the LIRR, which includes connection to the JFK AirTrain and the 168 St Bus Terminal, with connections to 10 New York City Transit and five NICE bus routes.

Bronx riders are also benefitting from more affordable Metro-North service. While overall monthly average railroad ridership grew 126% from 2021 to 2025, ridership was up 163% at Tremont and 152% at Spuyten Duyvil.

Today’s announcement comes as the railroads continue to deliver strong performance and reliability, while breaking post pandemic ridership records. The ridership highs across both railroads reflect the increasing customer satisfaction rates and record-breaking on-time performance statistics.

For this year so far, 96.4% of LIRR trains reached their destination on time, the best rate in its history, even surpassing pandemic years. Customer satisfaction with the LIRR reached 81% in the spring of 2025, up five percentage points from the fall of 2024, when it reached 76%, which was itself a six-point increase from spring 2024’s rate of 70%.

On Metro-North, 98.0% of trains have reached their destination on time this year. Metro-North continues to be the MTA’s highest-rated service with 89% of customers reporting being very satisfied or satisfied with Metro-North overall, an increase from 85% in Fall 2024. Satisfaction increased across all lines, up four points to 90% on the Hudson Line, four points to 89% on the Harlem Line, and five points to 89% on the New Haven Line.

The post ICYMI: Governor Hochul Announces $100 Million in CityTicket Savings for LIRR and Metro-North Riders appeared first on PCAC.

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New York– Hundreds of respondents shared their tapping habits and made their thoughts and feelings about the MTA’s transition to OMNY known to the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA clear through their responses to the 2025 OMNY User Experience Survey. Open from June 2nd to July 7th, 2025; a total of 392 responses were recorded from OMNY users across the MTA region. Survey results reflect a snapshot of the opinions of 392 riders and were not a scientific representation of the MTA’s riders. The survey was distributed via email, social media channels, community boards, and via partners in advocacy, among other channels.

Respondents shared information on where and how they tap, as well as if they regularly hit the weekly fare cap. They gave details of any recent issues they encountered with the system and, in many cases, their experiences and frustrations seeking to resolve those issues through the MTA and Cubic’s customer service channels. The survey also captured modes of transit respondents would like to see integrated with OMNY, and what fare incentives would be most useful to them.

The OMNY rollout has been a joint venture of the MTA and its contractor, Cubic, since 2019, and full transition from the MetroCard to OMNY is planned for the end of 2025. It has since become apparent that the MTA’s 4% biennial fare increase will likely also occur then, to reduce confusion among riders. 

Top Survey Findings:

1. Respondents who use OMNY were generally positive about the transition, giving it a rating of 3.43 out of 5(with 54% giving it a rating of four or five), while citing the convenience of being able to pay through a variety of methods. This included many senior fare or reduced fare riders who recently adopted OMNY.
2. Many respondents expressed that they miss seeing the immediacy of their transactions, including their remaining balance or expiration date, along with the peace of mind of knowing a free transfer has been honored, or if they hit the 7-day fare cap when tapping, which they are accustomed to from their MetroCard experience.
3. Nearly 75% of riders recently encountered an issue with OMNY, including 42% who encountered issues with OMNY readers not accepting their tap, 34% with late charges, and 30% who claimed to have encountered what they perceived to be “extra charges.” 26% of respondents did not experience any issues.
4. Of those who submitted customer service complaints or tickets, a clear majority had not had their issues solved. Riders lamented the lack of information available and an unhelpful chat function on the OMNY website, as well as long wait times when attempting to speak to a customer service representative.
5. The vast majority of riders want to see new features and integrations with OMNY, including free transfers to the LIRR and Metro-North, integrations with other transportation providers like NYC Ferry and Citi Bike and more fare options with fare capping, or a 30-day unlimited.

“Our survey shows that riders are optimistic OMNY can unite the region’s transit systems and make them a more convenient and seamless way to ride,” said Lisa Daglian, Executive Director, Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA(PCAC). “The MTA has intimated that it’s planning to retire the MetroCard and make fare changes concurrently at the end of the year – a smart move that will help riders rally for the best fares and reduce any remaining confusion or issues. Smart fare incentives—for both low-income riders and the MTA’s heaviest users—should accompany any fare increase and transition to OMNY to ensure the MTA’s neediest and most loyal customers are able to continue to ride. We’re confident that in time, OMNY will live up to its full potential and the right fare incentives will be created – particularly given Governor Hochul’s unwavering focus on affordability.”

OMNY Recommendations:

Given the feedback from riders were ceived, PCAC recommends the following actions to improve OMNY and the rider experience before the MetroCard is retired and new fares are unveiled:

• Update the OMNY interface so riders can immediately see their remaining balance, expiration date, free transfers, and whether they’ve met or are close to meeting the 7-day 12-ride fare cap. Riders need to see this information directly on the screen to better trust the system.    
• Implement fare incentives focused on low-income riders and the heaviest users of the system at the same time as the fare increase, to help make the system more equitable and affordable, including:  
  • a weekly CityTicket with free transfers to subways and buses
  • 30-day unlimited or fare cap  
  • a more robust Fair Fares program expanded to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and expanded to the LIRR and Metro-North in the city
• Invest in the OMNY website and customer service, so riders can clearly see their ride history and trips as they did in the past. Clean up the misinformation given by the OMNY Chatbot and ensure wait times for speaking with a representative are reasonable.  
• Launch a major public information campaign to:
  • build trust and clear up common misconceptions about OMNY, including personal data and security;
  • ensure that everyone knows OMNY can still be used without a bank account;
  • explain the concept of fare capping; and
  • tell riders why the MTA is switching to OMNY—it’s not a conspiracy to track riders, it’s an opportunity to improve the way they pay for transit.
• Include OMNY website features in the MTA app to streamline the user experience in the future.  
• Work internally and with external partners to better integrate OMNY with the LIRR and Metro-North, as well as NYC Ferry, PATH, Citi Bike, and other regional services to offer fare incentives and better connections.
• Incorporate MTA branding on the OMNY cards and machines. OMNY doesn’t currently look or feel like an MTA product but should be an iconic NYC symbol like the subway token and MetroCard before it.  

PCAC first undertook this study in response to a flurry of rider complaints and experienced many of the same issues. To their credit, the MTA has taken Cubic to task to expeditiously address the most oft-cited concerns. PCAC hopes to use the survey to inform fare policy as the MTA considers fare changes in the coming months.

About PCAC: 

Created by the New York State Legislature in 1981, the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) represents transit and commuter rail riders in the 12-county MTA region. PCAC regularly researches issues, recommends viable solutions, and advocates on behalf of the region’s subway, bus and Staten Island Railway riders, and Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad commuters through its three rider councils – the Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council (LIRRCC), the Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council (MNRCC), and the New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC). These councils and their non-voting MTA Board members were created to serve as a voice for users of the MTA system in the development and implementation of policy, and to hold the MTA Board and management accountable to riders. 

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