By Forum Staff
Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced significant progress on efforts to combat fare evasion across the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
In the last six months, from June 2024 through December 2024, subway fare evasion is down 26 percent. Across buses, including both the local and express bus network, fare evasion is down by 9.1 percent over the same period of time. This progress follows a response implemented by Hochul, the MTA and NYPD — including strategic deployment of enforcement, modifications to fare gates at numerous transit stations, and other measures helping to reduce fare evasion. Hochul also highlighted ongoing efforts to further crack down on fare evasion, including new anti-fare evasion measures being installed at all subway turnstiles this year and new fare gates being installed at 20 high-traffic stations this year.
According to the MTA’s Blue-Ribbon Panel report, the situation regarding fare evasion had reached crisis levels, with the MTA losing an estimated $690 million in unpaid fares and tolls in 2022.
To drive down fare evasion, officials said they have utilized recommendations from the report to advance a comprehensive strategy that has included strategic deployment of enforcement and ongoing modernization of turnstiles and fare gates, as well as other measures. This effort has also included strengthening coordination with NYPD to boost on-the-ground resources and increase the number of summonses for fare evasion.
The results have shown “clear progress,” according to Hochul. From June 2024 through December 2024, subway fare evasion is down 26 percent – from 14 percent of subway riders evading the fare to 10 percent. Across buses, including both the local and express bus network, fare evasion is down by 9.1 percent – from 50 percent of riders evading the fare last summer down to 45 percent, marking a pivotal shift in combating fare evasion.
NYPD issued 143,100 Transit Adjudication Bureau summonses for subway fare evasion in 2024, a 96 percent increase from 2019. NYPD also created a new uniformed Bus Enforcement Unit that has been deployed alongside the MTA’s “EAGLE Team” to support fare compliance across all five boroughs.
Following recommendations from the Blue-Ribbon Panel report, the MTA took a data-driven approach to optimize deployment of the EAGLE Team, the MTA’s civilian bus fare inspection team, to the bus stops and times of day with the highest concentration of fare evaders. EAGLE Team inspectors are charged with inspecting fares on local and SBS bus routes, and with NYPD support, the officers both educate members of the community on fare payment options and issue summonses. The MTA has stepped up EAGLE Team deployment, enforcing bus fare payment on 148,000 buses at over 370 stops since September 2024. In 2025, the MTA will also implement sensors and screens on buses to further track and deter fare evasion.
The MTA deployed unarmed gate guards across more than 208 subway stations, an expansion from 50 stations, taking a data-driven approach to optimize deployments based on station characteristics, ridership patterns, and more. Gate guards deter fare evasion.
Expanding on several successful pilots from 2024, the MTA is rolling out data-backed modifications to more fare gates across the subway system and expects to see an even greater impact by combining multiple efforts together.
The MTA has made steps to tackle evasion tactics at the turnstiles to create stronger, more resilient barriers against fare evasion. This includes reconfiguration of turnstiles to prevent back-cocking at 75 percent of all turnstiles and installation of turnstile fins at 20 fare control areas, which have dissuaded and reduced the number of individuals jumping the turnstile.
In the coming months, the MTA will scale up this initiative and implement a newer generation of fins, pilot additional anti-jumping interventions, and complete anti back-cocking modifications at the remainder of the turnstiles systemwide.
Delaying the opening of the emergency exit gate by 15 seconds has proven to be cost-effective in pilots, reducing gate evasion by nearly 40 percent. The MTA will build on this successful pilot and roll out this delay at exit gates in at least 150 stations in 2025, beginning at 34 St-Penn Station, Canal St, 161 St-Yankee Stadium, and Jay St-MetroTech.
The MTA replaced traditional emergency exit gates with new, accessible wide-aisle gates at Atlantic Av-Barclays Center, 34 St-Penn Station and Astoria Blvd, and introduced a new full array at Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av, where fare payment increased by 20 percent compared to 2023.
In December 2023, the MTA released a Request for Information to qualify the next generation of secure, accessible, and modern fare gates. After receiving and evaluating 12 responses from gate vendors, the MTA began in-lab testing of promising gate technology. The MTA will be conducting in-system testing and implementation of new fare gates at 20 stations by the end of 2025, and an additional 20 stations in 2026.
The MTA will prioritize stations with higher ridership traffic, accessibility features and those with high fare evasion. Initial installation is scheduled to begin at 42 St-Port Authority, Delancey St-Essex St, and Jackson Heights-Roosevelt Av.
The MTA’s proposed 2025-2029 Capital Plan will accelerate this implementation even further, including $1.1 billion to install modern fare gates in at least 150 stations systemwide.
Additionally, in 2024, the MTA began adopting best practices in behavioral change to further reinforce the need for fare payment. Through campaigns that highlight the humanity of transit workers and create a sense of collective responsibility to digital signs on buses stating that fares are required, the MTA is resetting social norms around fare payment.
“Fare evasion undermines the very system that moves New York City and provides essential transportation for our communities,” NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said. “Our team has made real progress, driving down fare evasion for the first time in years. We will continue to explore all measures and means to ensure fare compliance and sustain a system that is equitable for all.”
City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch added, “This significant decline in fare evasion is a critical first step in our efforts to make the transit system safer for all New Yorkers. Everyone should be able to ride the subway without fear of violence or chaos, and the NYPD will continue to patrol every station and overnight train to ensure that crime continues to decrease across our transit system. I thank Governor Hochul and the MTA for their partnership in keeping our city safe.”
