New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) chair Janno Lieber outlined a new approach to bus fare enforcement. Speaking at New York Law School, as reported by Gothamist, Lieber announced that the MetroCard will be retired next month and a "European-style" fare enforcement system will be introduced. Under the new system, fare agents rather than police officers will be responsible for verifying that riders are paying fares.
Fare evasion on MTA buses has been an ongoing issue, with estimates indicating an annual loss of more than $700 million. Lieber stated that addressing this issue is a priority. The planned enforcement changes are set to take effect during the mayoral term of Zohran Mamdani, an elected official who has advocated for eliminating bus fares. According to Gothamist, Lieber has characterized such a proposal as unrealistic.
PIX11 reported that the MTA has previously implemented civilian EAGLE teams on local and Select Bus Services to address fare evasion. However, the persistence of the issue has prompted the agency to adopt a different approach. Lieber also stated that the NYPD’s Bus Enforcement Unit, which is responsible for fare enforcement, does not have sufficient staffing to manage the problem effectively.
As the transition from police to fare agent enforcement continues, the MTA has emphasized the role of the OMNY system. The digital tap-to-pay system allows fare agents to verify payments and is expected to fully replace the MetroCard by 2026. Governor Kathy Hochul stated that the MTA has also introduced unarmed gate guards at subway stations to help manage access and plans to expand this system in the coming years. The planned addition of fare gates is intended to improve revenue collection for the transit system, although some riders have reported technical issues with the new payment system, as reported by Gothamist reporting.
Danny Pearlstein, a spokesperson for the advocacy group Riders Alliance, called for faster service and suggested that the MTA allow rear-door boarding. He stated that high rates of fare evasion have affected fare collection as a source of revenue, as mentioned in an email to Gothamist.
.jpg){kind=link}