Overview
- The Council proposal, announced Wednesday, would convert Fair Fares from a 50% discount to a full subsidy for residents earning up to 150% of the federal poverty level.
- Advocates and the PCAC estimate about 1.0 to 1.3 million New Yorkers qualify, while only about 360,000 to 370,000 are enrolled today.
- Menin’s office pegs the added annual cost near $130 million, and PCAC projects $150 million to $170 million, on top of current program funding reported between about $96 million and $121 million.
- The plan contrasts with Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push for free buses for all riders, and he says closing the budget gap without new taxes makes the Council’s approach unrealistic.
- Lawmakers say the city can act without Albany and are weighing steps like automatic enrollment, with public hearings set for May and June and a July 1 budget deadline.