City Permanently Expands Fair Fares to 200% of Poverty

Overview

• The budget deal reached June 30 permanently raises Fair Fares eligibility from 150% to 200% of the federal poverty level, adding about 340,000 people to the program.
• The city committed an extra $54 million for FY27, bringing the program’s budget to roughly $174.6 million to cover the larger eligible pool.
• Eligible riders must still apply to enroll, and current participation is low at about one‑third to 40% of those eligible, a gap advocates say weakens the program’s reach.
• Advocates are pressing the city for automatic enrollment and still-larger income bands while Mayor Zohran Mamdani continues to pursue a separate proposal to make buses free.
• Under the new threshold individuals earning up to about $31,920 and families of four up to about $66,000 qualify for half‑price rides, which could save typical users several hundred dollars a year and shift how low‑income New Yorkers afford transit.