Statement: MTA Fare Increase Will Take Biggest Toll on Low-Income New Yorkers
The latest round of fare increases on our city’s subways and buses will have an effect on all transit users. However, for the lowest income New Yorkers with tight budgets, a small change in the cost of getting to work can have serious repercussions. In 2016, our Unheard Third survey showed that one in four low-income New Yorkers regularly could not afford subway and bus fares, and that was before the last two fare increases.
The Fair Fares program that provides half-priced MetroCards to New Yorkers at or below poverty is a clear way to address the disparity in transit access that these fare increases only exacerbate. Affordable MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers can mean not having to choose between buying a subway fare and buying a meal, or between getting to work on time and risking arrest or fines for failing to pay. While the rollout of this program has been slower than anticipated, the administration has stated that all those eligible for this important anti-poverty initiative will be able to apply by January 2020, a promise that must be kept to ensure that all city residents can get where they need to go.