Speaker Menin discusses Fair Fares expansion and Intro 248
Speaker Menin announces the largest Fair Fares expansion, making nearly 1.3 million New Yorkers eligible, and highlights Council Member Crystal Hudson's bill to streamline enrollment.
As part of the budget we passed in June, the council secured the largest expansion of Fair Fares program in its history.
So that residents earning up to 200% of the federal poverty line will soon qualify for half-price transit discounts on the bus, on the subway, and on paratransit.
This expansion now means that nearly 1.3 million New Yorkers can focus on where they're going and not if they can afford to get there.
While this was
a major victory for transit affordability and something the council truly prioritized, we still recognize that there are unnecessary barriers to enrolling in the program.
As I said in May during our Fair Fares oversight hearing, a 40% enrollment rate is a failing grade, especially for such a vital program.
So among the bills that we're voting on today, one that Councilmember Crystal Hudson introduced will mandate a streamlined process to enroll in fare fares.
This effort is even more important given that 340,000 additional New Yorkers are now eligible due to the expansion that the council pushed for in the budget.