More than three dozen advocacy and nonprofit groups are calling on the Mamdani administration to expand discounted bus and subway rides through the Fair Fares program — and to make all rides free for the poorest New Yorkers.
The consortium of groups — headlined by the Community Service Society, the Permanent Citizen’s Advisory Committee to the MTA, and Riders Alliance — were expected to send a letter to Mayor Mamdani Thursday calling on him to broaden both the eligibility and discounts for the city-funded program.
The list of signatories includes the Transport Workers Union, the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Reinvent Albany, Regional Plan Association and 1199 SEIU
“At no point since the Great Depression has affordability been so vital to so many New York City residents,” the letter reads. “We write today to urge you to expand the Fair Fares program in this year’s city budget.”
In its current iteration, the Fair Fares program gives New Yorkers in need a 50% discount on subway, bus and paratransit rides. Any household making less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Level is eligible — a threshold that includes any individual making less than $23,475 a year or a family of four bringing in less than $48,225.
The advocates are calling for the Mamdani administration to double that threshold to 300% of the poverty line — meaning half-off fares for individuals making less than $46,950, or a family of four making under $96,450 a year.
For those 1.3 million New Yorkers who are currently eligible for the discount — those making less than 150% of the poverty line — the consortium is calling on City Hall to make their subway rides free.
In total, the PCAC estimates the expansion would cost the city between $275 million and $330 million.
“Fair Fares can immediately deliver affordability for the riders who need it the most,” PCAC’s associate director Brian Fritsch told the Daily News.
Mamdani made affordability in New York City — and specifically on transit — a cornerstone of his mayoral campaign, promising to make the MTA’s buses fare-free for all. As recently reported by The News, his administration is pushing to pilot free buses during the FIFA World Cup this summer.
But according to the PCAC, over 65% of Fair Fare use last year was on the subway.
The consortium is also asking the Mamdani administration to take steps to automatically enroll recipients of other city services who fall below the income threshold. Currently, only about 35% of eligible New Yorkers are enrolled in the program.
