PRESS RELEASE 09.30.25 — STOP THE FARE HIKE

Brief:

The mismanagement of New Yorker’s tax dollars and fare revenue by the MTA has resulted in the debilitation of a public service which no longer functions for the public. The consistent struggle and organization of the working and poor people in this city has yielded responses from the MTA (the august fare hike delay, the implementation of Fair Fares sign up kiosks, the scheduling of hearings after working hours, and now the fare hike revision) that are insufficient but represent the power of organized working and poor people. The 1 in 5 people currently struggling to afford transit have been criminalized – both through the MTA’s dehumanizing rhetoric in their board meetings, and in the board’s ambushing use of ‘MTA police’ as violent enforcers of its unaffordable fare. The root cause of fare evasion is not criminality, it is an inability to keep up with the rising cost of living that is outpacing our incomes. Our fight must continue.

Full Article:

The recent revision to the Fare Hike proposal reflects yet another insufficient response to the organization and outrage of the poor and working people of this city. The reduction of the weekly unlimited cap increase to $1 is not in line with the demands of the ‘Fare Ain’t Fair’ Coalition (FAF) which calls for the cancellation of the fare being increased to $3. The demand still holds However, this modification reflects a history of cracks (the august fare hike delay, the implementation of Fair Fares sign up kiosks, the scheduling of hearings after working hours, and now the fare hike revision)  in the MTA since the organizing efforts of the FAF. It is time for the dam to burst as the issue of affordability only grows larger. The fight has been strong and it will continue until the demands are met.

On September 21st the ‘Fare Ain’t Fair’ coalition held a rally and march through the Brooklyn neighborhood of MTA CEO Janno Lieber. The Coalition delivered the people’s demand to STOP THE FARE HIKE to his door. The marchers declared  that the 1 in 4 New Yorkers living in poverty WON’T PAY MORE – especially during an affordability crisis that threatens the existence of poor and working class people who depend on public transportation.

After months of collecting thousands of petition signatures and hundreds of video/audio testimonies, the FAF coalition has amassed exhaustive evidence of New Yorkers’ opposition to the MTA’s proposed transit fare increases.

The MTA’s public hearings to receive comments and testimonies about the proposed fare increases were held hastily on August 19th and 20th. Both sessions were ended before the advertised time and presenters were censored when their statements expressed frustration towards the Board. Most speakers opposed the proposed fare increase.They called for an audit of the agency, demanding that the MTA drop its policy of investing over $1 billion/year on “fare evasion prevention”, and direct those same dollars to the NYC Fair Fares program – which would directly alleviate some of the financial burden which causes fare evasion.

The FAF coalition has maintained a consistent presence at the monthly MTA board meetings, in addition to holding town halls and community sessions in churches, classrooms, and in the streets of poor and working class neighborhoods throughout NYC. The coalition’s weekly tabling sessions have been held at the subway stations most targeted with fare evasion arrests, where coalition members provide support and information on Fair Fare enrollment, spread awareness about the criminalization of poverty by the MTA, and share research about the discriminatory enforcement of transit costs on Black and Brown communities. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, January to March, the NY and MTA Police Departments made 3,696 arrests for fare evasion…2,341 of those arrested were Black people – nearly 64%, the most ever in a single quarter in this city’s recorded history.

These statistics recall the legacy of the NYPD’s unconstitutional stop and frisk practices and strongly suggest the intentional pricing out of Black people from NYC in mass. The affordability crisis strains the budgets of some and threatens the survival of many who are faced with the option of paying for transit, the rising rent, or groceries.

The Fare Ain’t Fair coalition represents transit riders & workers, students, educators, community leaders, union members & reps, youth & elders, poor and working class New Yorkers determined to access an affordable and quality public transit system. The coalition’s compiled research can be reviewed here:  Fare Ain’t Fair Research Compilation and coverage of their work is available at: https://d12m.com/fare-aint-fair/. They’re encouraging New Yorkers to sign the petition and spread the word about the people’s demand to STOP THE FARE HIKE.