Overview
- City officials, who testified Wednesday at the Council’s first Fair Fares hearing, said privacy and consent rules restrict using SNAP or Medicaid files to auto-enroll eligible riders.
- The Citizens Budget Commission released a report Wednesday urging eligibility up to about 250% of the poverty line, estimating $146 million to $232 million a year versus roughly $900 million for fare-free buses.
- Council leaders and transit advocates rallied for automatic enrollment and for free rides for people who already qualify, setting those priorities for budget talks now underway.
- Fair Fares gives half-price subway, bus, and paratransit rides to adults 18 to 64 at or below 150% of the poverty line, yet only about 40% of those eligible are enrolled, or roughly 380,000 people, due to a separate application and yearly renewal.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani has focused on making buses free and left Fair Fares expansion out of his Preliminary Budget, which keeps the choice between a universal bus plan and a targeted discount in play as his Executive Budget arrives later this month.