The Fare Ain't Fair Campaign

“Fare Ain’t Fair” Campaign

  • The goal of the Fare Ain’t Fair (FAF) campaign is to reduce the cost of the fare for poor and working-class New Yorkers.
  • While the MTA’s solution to our crisis is to INCREASE THE FARE to $3.00 this August, our solution is to REDUCE THE FARE for all poor and working class New Yorkers


Fair Ain't Fair Graph

The Demand

1 IN 5 NEW YORKERS ARE STRUGGLING TO AFFORD PUBLIC TRANSIT. We demand that the fare be reduced for all New Yorkers living at or below 400% of the Federal Poverty Line and for the City Council to allot the appropriate and necessary funding for this expanded eligibility through the NYC Fair Fares program.

We refuse to let the MTA continue raising the transit fare, the poor will not pay more!

Join the Work

  • Street work: Protests, rallies, community self-defense trainings, flyering/stickering, etc.
  • Tabling: helping people enroll in the current Fair Fares program & distributing educational materials
  • Programs & Propaganda: creating materials to raise awareness of the campaign and educate the community about the current contradictions
  • Community engagement: Phone & email zaps to apply pressure to elected officials, outreach to all levels of the community to gather support for and involvement in the campaign, etc.

Riders Safety

Derrell Mickles was shot by the NYPD in 2024 for not paying the fare at Sutter Ave. L train station in Brooklyn. They shot him on a crowded platform, striking 2 innocent bystanders, one of them in the head. MTA & NYPD criminalize the impoverishment of working-class and poor people, many of whom are Black.

Fair Ain't Fair Pie Chart

Transit Worker’s Safety

50% of assaults on bus operators are the result of a dispute at the farebox. A more accessible and affordable transit system for riders is a safer work environment for transit workers.

The Poor Won’t Pay More

It’s time the MTA starts TAXING Wall Street rather than BORROWING from them and putting us in more debt! It’s time THEY PAY THE FARE!

Fair Ain't Fair Logo

As of January 2025, New Yorkers earning up to 145% of the federal poverty level (FPL) qualify for reduced fares through the NYC Fair Fare.

This eligibility leaves out millions of working-class and poor NYers!

Fair Ain't Fair Chart

Check your eligibility, enroll (if possible), and join us in the fight to expand this program to include earners up to 400% of FPL ($60,240 for an individual)

Fair Ain't Fair Chart

The Fare Ain’t Fair Campaign demands the ‘Fair Fares’ NYC program be expanded to include earners up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Line.