Background:
After listening to feedback from elected officials, advocates, and members of the general public at the three in-person and virtual public hearings that took place on the 19th and 20th of August in Brooklyn, the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA – whose staff and members testified at all three hearings – compiled a single comprehensive testimony to reflect the viewpoints of PCAC members as well as concerns and ideas raised by those testifying.
We echo the concerns of numerous speakers about the limited number of hearings and the sole location, combined with fact that all three ended prior to the publicly noticed hours. In addition, only one voting MTA Board member was present at any of the three hearings; a synopsis is not the same as the passion that was clearly on display in the room. Because of these reasons, and others enumerated below, PCAC urges the MTA to hold more hearings, carefully debate and discuss the proposals and concerns brought forth, and delay any vote on fares until October 2025 at the earliest.
Position:
PCAC supports predictable fare increases to keep our trains and buses operating frequently and reliably, and endorses the majority of MTA proposals, including the bulk of the fare increases currently under consideration. Smaller, predictable fare increases that help the MTA offset inflation and the rising cost of doing business in the New York City region are necessary for keeping the agency solvent and far more preferable to the drastic price hikes riders in New Jersey, Chicago, and Philadelphia are facing.
However, affordability remains a major concern among New Yorkers, and PCAC believes that to offset the fare increases we support, several fare incentives currently slated for removal should be retained and more generous offerings provided so the lowest-income New Yorkers and the MTA’s most frequent riders do not bear an undue burden from the fare increases.
Most importantly, before enacting new fare policies, it is crucial that the MTA listen to and consider opportunities to improve the fare structure as proposed, and as has been the case in the past. In particular, we believe significant policy changes for the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North—the ending of round-trip tickets; automatic activation for one-way and new day-pass tickets; and the four-hour validity window for both printed and TrainTime one-way tickets —warrant additional discussion, reconsideration, and public clarification on specific policies for refunds before action is taken. To that end, we encourage the MTA to hold additional public hearings in more locations across the region and delay the official Board vote on the proposals to the October meeting at the earliest.
Bottom Line:
“With New York deep in an affordability crisis, it’s crucial that the MTA deliver a fare structure that cuts a break for New Yorkers who need it most: seniors, families, low-income, and disabled New Yorkers, as well as the MTA’s most frequent riders,” said Lisa Daglian, Executive Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA. “PCAC applauds many of the proposals being considered, including the closure of the AM Peak loophole on the railroads, the introduction of a $67 weekly fare cap for express bus riders, and automatically giving New York City railroad riders the best fare available. PCAC encourages further discussion to enhance equitable access to affordable transit via proposals we have outlined in our Rider-First Fare Agenda and in our testimonies to the MTA Board.”
MTA Proposals PCAC Endorses:
- Honoring the Senior and Disabled Half-Fare in the A.M. Peak/ PCAC applauds this MTA proposal, which we have long advocated for, as it posed unnecessary barriers to employment, healthcare, and recreation for vulnerable New Yorkers, confusing riders and conductors alike. We urge the board to adopt this measure and thank New York Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, Senator Comrie, and Assembly Member Seawright for their steadfast advocacy in the State Legislature
- Making the 7-day rolling fare cap on OMNY permanent
- Advancing fare capping policies on New York City Transit to save riders time and money. By having riders pay as they go instead of up front, riders will no longer pay for rides they don’t use, saving riders a significant amount of money. That said, we believe transit riders deserve single-day and 30-day fare caps in addition to the 7-day fare cap already offered.
- Launching the $67 fare cap for express bus riders, which includes trips on local buses and the subway
- Making the CityTicket and Far Rockaway Ticket permanent
- Simplifying the fare offerings on the railroads in New York City to ensure riders always receive the best available price
- Increasing the NYC Transit base fare $0.10 and reduced fares $0.05
Additional Opportunities for Fare Incentives in New York City:
Create a Weekly CityTicket with Free Transfers to Subways and Buses: While we’re pleased that the proposed fare structure makes CityTicket and Far Rockaway Ticket permanent, there is still no weekly ticket offering, nor a single ticket that would allow free transfers to subways and buses, as was previously available under the Atlantic Ticket pilot program. Under the proposed fare structure, riders whose fastest trip involves both a subway or bus and a railroad will pay more than $20 round-trip during peak times. Implementing CityTicket Weekly, combined with free transfers to subways and bus transfers, would shorten commutes for residents of subway deserts and increase equitable access to affordable transit.
Create a Unified City Zone on the Railroads: With CityTicket, the one-way ticket price is standard no matter where in the city you travel on a single railroad. However, because there are still five different fare zones across the railroads within the boroughs, the cost of a weekly or monthly ticket varies, whether you’re traveling from Jamaica to Grand Central, Woodside to Grand Central, or Fordham to Grand Central, as much as a $17.50 weekly or $45 per month. These pricing differences also give riders traveling from the farthest city zones less of an incentive to purchase a weekly or monthly ticket due to the more greatly discounted price for the one-way CityTicket. This issue can be solved by creating a unified city zone with a single, unified fare for each ticket option.
Similarly, while PCAC supports the concept of an unlimited day pass, it must work for riders using both the LIRR and Metro-North in a single trip. Right now, riders who use both railroads within the city pay $10 or $14 one way—the cost of two CityTickets— even if they transfer at Grand Central Madison, as while the railroads are under one roof, their fare structures are not.
30-Day and Single-Day Fare Cap: The discontinuation of the 30-day unlimited MetroCard could amount to a fare hike of up to 18% for monthly riders. While 30-day unlimited MetroCard users might make up a smaller percentage of current riders than in the past, these are also some of the most dedicated and frequent users of the MTA system. It’s important that these frequent riders are rewarded— not punished— for being dedicated transit users. Introducing a 30-day and single-day fare caps will remedy this issue, ensuring OMNY creates more flexible and affordable fares.
Expand Fair Fares: New York City Mayor Eric Adams must expand Fair Fares eligibility to a minimum of 200% of the Federal Poverty Level. PCAC analysis has found that this would expand eligibility to more than 400,000 low-income New Yorkers, including minimum wage workers. Additional expansion to the railroads in the city—via a half-price CityTicket—would also bring relief to New Yorkers in subway deserts like Southeast Queens and the Bronx who cope with some of the city’s longest commutes.
Additional Opportunities for Fare Incentives on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North:
Retain the 10 Trip: The loss of the 10-trip ticket package on the railroads could result in a 23% increase for some riders. A proposed free 11th trip is replacing it, but since those rides must be made in a two-week window and travel with a new day pass is excluded, it is far less useful to riders who currently have a 60-day window to ride. PCAC believes the railroads should retain the 10-trip or risk losing ridership, especially during off-peak periods.
Expand Family Fare on the Railroads: Today, the LIRR and Metro-North charge 12-17-year-olds the full adult fare, making the railroads prohibitively expensive for families riding into the city or within the railroads’ suburban service territory. A discounted fare for this age group, like the $1 fare for 5-11-year-olds, will make the railroad more accessible to families and grow ridership. We urge the MTA Board to enact this “mid-kid” proposal, championed by Assembly Member Kassay in the Legislature.
Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Items for Further Discussion:
Four-Hour Activation Window: The proposal for both digital and paper tickets to auto activate and expire four hours after purchase is a major change for riders. There are many scenarios in which riders need the flexibility to purchase a ticket in advance or change their travel plans, particularly if a family emergency arises, or a train is delayed past the expiration time. How will customers get a refund for tickets that expire without being used? And will the $10 refund charge be applied? Riders need clarification about how this policy would work in practice. For paper tickets, the four-hour expiration window will require riders to make numerous transactions and reduces flexibility.
Ending Round-Trip Tickets and Launching the Day Pass: While PCAC supports the Day Pass in concept, its automatic activation for one day limits flexibility for some riders and instead riders have spoken of the practicality of retaining a longer-term round-trip option for people travelling across multiple days. Additionally, PCAC believes the unlimited day pass should be valid for use across both railroads to promote intracity commuter rail usage. Currently, the single-ride Combo Ticket does not have a day pass counterpart, and the existing Combo Ticket does not benefit city riders of both railroads.
Additional Info:
Benefits: Offering more fare discounts and incentives are a win-win-win for the big Es: environment, economy, and equity. Policies like the Weekly CityTicket will bring more workers out of their cars and into the central business district, bolstering restaurant traffic and expanding employment opportunities. Discounted fares for 12-17-year-olds will bring more families into the city for shows and all New York has to offer, without having to undertake a cost-benefit analysis of taking the train versus driving.
New Yorkers deserve and expect the best from the MTA. The proposed fare changes are a good start, but more work is needed to seize this opportunity to make the MTA an engine of economic growth and opportunity as we face down uncertain times.
Peer Support: In January of this year, PCAC was joined by over two dozen federal, state, and city elected officials and fifteen advocacy organizations in a letter asking Governor Hochul to include several of these recommendations in her Executive Budget. Later in the session, over a dozen groups ranging from the Business Council to Reinvent Albany signed a memo of support calling for the implementation of this package. Finally, over the course of three hybrid public hearings, Senator Shelley Mayer, Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon, Brooklyn Borough President Reynoso, the New York League of Conservation Voters, StreetsPAC, and Natural Resources Defense Council, as well as members of the New York City Transit Riders Council, Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council, and Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council testified in support of PCAC’s recommendations.