According to the study, the MTA – which offers reduced fares for the elderly and the disabled – could be made whole from the city's budget or new revenue from higher gas surcharges and new bridge tolls. The study also notes that the city would save money from the $48 million it spends on MetroCards for people enrolled in education programs and job training.
Community Service Society President David Jones and de Blasio's nominee to the MTA board, said that high transit prices burden the working poor, and according to the group's report, more than a quarter of working age people who struggle to make ends meet had been unable to afford a MetroCard swipe.
"The MTA should be available to everyone in our city, not just those with credit cards in their pocket who can afford a monthly pass, but to those with a few bucks in their pockets who are struggling to take care of their families and get ahead," Jones said in a statement.
The report also points to cities such as Seattle, San Francisco, and London as examples of places where mass-transit agencies offer fare discounts to low-income riders.
"A 30-day transit pass is a real discount," Jones told NY 1. "But an individual who's just at the margins, who's a car wash worker or someone working at a low-wage job - can't afford a monthly pass."
A few "Fair Fares" advocates admitted that some riders are taking drastic measures.
"There were 29,000 fare-jumping arrests last year," Jones told NY 1. "This is a sign, sort of a bellwether, of real desperation."
The MTA has yet to comment on the matter.
"The Riders Alliance and the Community Service Society have put together an interesting proposal, and we look forward to reviewing the report in greater detail," de Blasio spokeswoman Natalie Grybauskas said in a statement.
[Image via Pixabay]