MTA and Fair Fares STILL Not Playing Fair

The MTA’s handling of the Fair Fares program demonstrates glaring negligence, leaving thousands of low-income New Yorkers in a financial bind. Despite the City announcing budget expansions and new eligibility thresholds as far back as July 1, 2024, the Fair Fares website remains outdated. This delay has effectively denied rightful access to discounted fares for a significant number of New Yorkers already struggling to make ends meet.

The stakes are high: the expanded eligibility guidelines could potentially benefit over 198,000 additional New Yorkers, yet the City has failed to act with urgency. While low-income residents were promised relief, they’ve instead faced punitive measures as NYPD and MTA officers intensified fare evasion crackdowns, disproportionately targeting young and economically disadvantaged individuals.

This inaction is compounded by the MTA’s readiness to implement fare increases almost immediately in the past, yet when it comes to ensuring equitable access to reduced fares, there is a puzzling lack of priority. The $10 million budget increase, hailed as a victory for the working poor, rings hollow when the promised benefits are inaccessible.

Adding insult to injury, the pilot OMNY reduced fare program—launched in May—was supposed to bring Fair Fares into the digital age, making it more accessible through tap-to-pay technology. Instead, even this initiative has been marked by technical failures, further disenfranchising eligible riders.

Whether this delay stems from sheer oversight, bureaucratic inertia, or an intentional revenue-generating strategy, the consequences remain the same: millions of dollars in potentially unlawful full-fare collections, and untold hardship for those who cannot afford $2.90 per ride. The fact that Fair Fares applicants, who inquired in person or via 311, were informed of their eligibility months ago only underscores the systemic failure to update the website and implement the program fully.

The City’s negligence is not just a policy failure; it’s a breach of trust. By failing to deliver on its promise to expand Fair Fares promptly, the MTA has left its most vulnerable riders footing the bill while cracking down on fare evasion with penalties and fines. Those fined during this period could have grounds for legal recourse, as their eligibility under the new income thresholds was denied in practice, even if technically granted in principle.

Navy Veteran and advocate Timothy Pena initially moved to NYC to escape the mental illness of Phoenix and get a new lease on life. His experiences as a homeless veteran in NYC has formed his advocacy work and his articles on transitioning from homelessness in New York City highlights the need for urgent reforms in how veterans are supported by the city’s shelter system.