Good afternoon, I’m Brian Fritsch, Associate Director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, PCAC.
Fair Fares has a modest price tag but the power to transform the lives of over 364,000 New Yorkers who now take part in the program. No other city program improves transportation equity while simultaneously addressing our city’s affordability crisis.
That’s why we were so incredibly disappointed that Mayor Adams once again refused to expand the program to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) in his Executive Budget this year.
The mayor spoke at length about “making New York City more affordable for working-class people,” but at $22,000 for an individual or just over $45,000 for a family of four, working-class people make too much to qualify.
Raising the Fair Fares level to 200% FPL would expand eligibility to over 415,000 residents, including 160,000 regular commuters and minimum wage New Yorkers who are incredibly likely to be transit dependent. It’s crucial we do this now, before MTA fare increases are scheduled to take place later this summer, making subways and buses more expensive for everyone.
On top of this, NYC is the least generous of the major U.S. cities that offers a public transit discount for low-income residents, despite having one of the highest costs of living and highest poverty rates. Nearly all other cities use 200% FPL as their income eligibility limit, and most also offer discounts on their commuter rail systems, which New York City currently does not do. It’s time to change that too, so people who live in subway deserts but are close to the Long Island Rail Road or Metro-North within the city can use their Fair Fares benefits on whichever system is most convenient for them.
Yet what’s perhaps most frustrating about the program is that due to the dismally low enrollment rate, it’s feasible for the city to raise the eligibility threshold while maintaining the current funding level and still end the year with money in the bank!
It’s time to stop kicking the can down the road on this program and expand Fair Fares to 200% FPL. Don’t go through another year where it takes HRA six months to implement another 20% change due to procedural requirements. Working people deserve a half-price ride. They won’t qualify unless we raise the income level to 200% FPL.
Thank you to the Council and especially Speaker Adams for your steadfast commitment to the program. Let’s make Fair Fares more fair for more people now.