Fair Fares Not Playing Fair

On July 1, and a little over three months after the new budget went into effect and made possible with an additional $10 million dollars, which raised the eligibility threshold from 120% to 145% of the federal poverty level and serve an additional 198,225 adult New Yorkers, bringing the total eligible population to 1.035 million and making more working-age New Yorkers eligible for the program. That meant that an individual must have a yearly income of no more than $21,837 or 1,819.75 a month. The threshold for a family of four is an income of $45,240.

Yet, another three and a half months later, the city has yet to update the website and thus still collecting millions of dollars a day in full fares from New Yorkers promised new income guidelines. NYC Department of Social Services continues to steer New Yorkers to sign up with Fair Fares on Social Media and NYPD is conducting crackdowns on mostly younger people and low-income jumping turnstiles and slipping through gates.

A call to 311 in July confirmed the change in the Fair Fares program, and that it would go into effect as soon as the website was updated. During a visit to the Brooklyn Fair Fares program, the customer service agent confirmed the changes to Fair Fares and processed my application, but did not seem to think it was the website.

OMNY is launching a 50% reduced Fair Fares program with the MTA and the city Department of Social Services in which 50 eligible riders can access it through the OMNY tap-to-pay system. The pilot began in May and lasted through the end of July but is still unable to pay for reduced fares.

There are thousands of people who really can't afford $2.90, but when given the choice of walking through a gate for free, but unlawful, or paying $1.45, most people will pay the reduced fare. These people understand that riding for free is wrong and that fares pay for our transportation. Most New Yorkers feel duty-bound to contribute to the city services that we all use.

Whether this is an oversight, or a "bait and switch" scheme is unknown but not surprising given the past fare increases have taken nearly immediate effect. Regardless, the City is collecting millions in potentially unlawful fares in an apparent money grab and dragging out updating the website, but anyone who was ticketed may have grounds for dismissal and their fines revoked if they were eligible at the time of the infraction.

I’ve reached out to MTA to request comment on this story and am waiting to hear back from the Government Community Relations team.