Testimony: Expanding Fair Fares is Cost-Effective Way to Increase Access to Jobs and Services
Thank you for the opportunity to provide written testimony on the City’s Fair Fares program. We appreciate the City Council championing this important affordability program for transit riders, which we believe is a cost-effective way to increase access to jobs and services for New Yorkers who need it most.
Reinvent Albany joined colleagues on a February 11, 2026 letter calling on Mayor Mamdani to support expansion of the NYC funded Fair Fares program including the following:
- Increasing eligibility to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) (individual – $46,950, four-person household – $96,450) for half-priced fares.
- Making the program fully City-supported for households under 150% of the FPL (individual – $23,475, four-person household – $48,225).
- Half-priced fares on MTA Express Buses, CityTickets on the LIRR, and Metro-North railroads within New York City, drastically reducing commute times for tens of thousands of New Yorkers.
- Automatic enrollment of qualified households to improve the current enrollment rate.
- Closing program loopholes, such as on Access-a-Ride for qualifying seniors, who now pay half fare until age 64, and then pay full fare at age 65.
We are glad to see the City Council’s Preliminary Budget Response for FY 2027 supports full city funding for transit passes for those under 150% of the FPL. We urge the Council to go further and increase the threshold for half-priced fares to 300% of the FPL.
We also appreciate that Intro 248 (Hudson) makes enrollment automatic for Fair Fares and other city programs, using existing records and social services assistance rolls to identify eligible individuals. This would be a game-changer, as 60% of New Yorkers who are eligible for Fair Fares have still not enrolled, and strenuous application processes have been identified as a key impediment to enrollment (see the Regional Plan Association’s December 2025 report, Reduced Fares: Lessons from Across the Country).
Reinvent Albany believes that these proposals together – fully NYC-funded fares or reduced-price fares with automatic enrollment – are a sensible and effective path forward to make transit more affordable for New Yorkers who need help the most. Thank you for your consideration.