Res. No. 964
Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the New York State Governor to sign, S.3887A/A.7316A, requiring that any individual who is eligible for the Fair Fares NYC program and any person whose income is 200 percent of the federal poverty level receive a 50 percent discount on trips using the Long Island Rail Road, paratransit services, New York City Transit subways or buses, and the Metro-North Railroad.
By Council Member Brooks-Powers
Whereas, Fair Fares NYC (FFNYC) is a New York City (NYC) program that was created in 2019 to help New Yorkers with low incomes reduce their transportation costs; and
Whereas, FFNYC provides eligible NYC residents with a 50 percent discount on subway and eligible bus fares (including the Staten Island Railway, Roosevelt Island Tram, and Hudson Rail Link); and
Whereas, In addition, FFNYC also provides eligible NYC residents with a 50 percent discount on Access-A-Ride trips; and
Whereas, Current eligibility for FFNYC requires that the NYC resident be 18 to 64 years old, in a household that meets the income guidelines for the FFNYC, not receiving full car fare from the NYC Department of Social Services/Human Resources Administration or any other NYC agency, and not currently eligible for, or participating in, any other transportation discount program; and
Whereas, One of the largest determinants of eligibility for FFNYC is whether a NYC resident is living at or below a specific percentage of the federal poverty level (FPL); and
Whereas, Current eligibility guidelines, after being expanded in 2023 and 2024, require that applicants be at or below 145 percent of the FPL; and
Whereas, FFNYC currently has 373,696 New Yorkers enrolled in the program, however, a 2023 survey by the Community Service Society found that more than half of the eligible population for FFNYC was not engaged in the process of enrollment, with many reporting that they had not heard of the program or did not know how to apply; and
Whereas, The relatively low participation rate in FFNYC may be due in part to a lack of outreach and the restrictive eligibility requirements; and
Whereas, According to the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), if eligibility for FFNYC is expanded to include those at or below 200 percent of the FPL, an estimated 450,000 additional residents will become eligible for the program, up from the approximately 1.1 million who are currently eligible; and
Whereas, In addition to eligibility restrictions, many New Yorkers rely on the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and the Metro-North Railroad (MNR) to travel, yet the FFNYC currently does not provide discounted trips for these modes of transportation; and
Whereas, S.3887A, sponsored by New York State Senator Leroy Comrie, and A.7316A, sponsored by NYS Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas, would require that any individual who is eligible for FFNYC and any person whose income is 200 percent of the FPL receive a 50 percent discount on trips using the LIRR, paratransit services, New York City Transit subways or buses, and the MNR; and
Whereas, S.3887A/A.7316A would also require the MTA, in consultation with NYC, to conduct a public outreach campaign to increase awareness and expand usage of FFNYC by eligible individuals; and
Whereas, S.3887A/A.7316A would ultimately make transportation options throughout NYC more accessible, affordable, and equitable, and would perform much needed outreach to increase enrollment among those who are eligible to apply for FFNYC; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the New York State Governor to sign, S.3887A/A.7316A, requiring that any individual who is eligible for the Fair Fares NYC program and any person whose income is 200 percent of the federal poverty level receive a 50 percent discount on trips using the Long Island Rail Road, paratransit services, New York City Transit subways or buses, and the Metro-North Railroad.
KK
LS 19469
6/25/25