As New York City and the MTA devises their next plan to tax or hike prices on everything from owning a vehicle to 'congestion' to having a driver's license to living within 10 miles of the Lincoln Tunnel, we have a thought: maybe just focus on collecting fares from existing riders...
We know it's controversial, but in the wake of a new New York Times report claiming that 48% of MTA Bus riders fail to pay fares, we can't help but ask.
The Times reports that before the pandemic, about 20% of bus riders didn't pay, but this has worsened recently.
Despite this, officials have mainly focused on the subway, deploying police and security to enforce fares, while bus fare evasion remains much higher. In early 2024, nearly half of bus riders evaded fares, compared to 14% on the subway, even though subway ridership is twice as high.
The evasion has cost the MTA "startling" losses—$315 million from bus riders and $285 million from subway riders in 2022, according to a 2023 report.
David R. Jones, an MTA board member and the chief executive of the Community Service Society said: “In the public’s mind, they don’t see the bus system as the real source of fare evasion. We have to get people to recognize that this is no longer acceptable.”
Drivers are increasingly afraid to collect fares due to violent, the report says. Bus driver Robert Freeman said: “First and foremost, I avoid all confrontation. Me, I just concentrate on driving, and I don’t say nothing.”
The NYPD commented: “New Yorkers have come to expect and rightfully deserve to use the city’s mass transit system without being subjected to acts of lawlessness.”
Some paying riders resent free riders, while advocates for low-income residents fear stricter enforcement will disproportionately impact vulnerable people. The bus system, which serves many older and poorer individuals, has become a focal point in this debate, the Times reported.
The MTAs ongoing struggle with fare evasion has sparked discussions about whether mass transit should be free, funded by taxes like public services. Assemblyman Zohran K. Mamdani, a Democrat, recently supported a bill for free rides on select bus routes, arguing that New Yorkers cannot afford the current costs.
But the MTA urgently needs fare revenue, facing a projected $1 billion deficit by 2028 due to higher-than-expected fare evasion. Before the pandemic, fares accounted for about 42% of the MTA's revenue.
The situation worsened when Governor Kathy Hochul canceled a planned congestion pricing program, costing the MTA $15 billion in potential funding.