NEW YORK CITY - Commuters are going to have to start paying up again after an MTA pilot program ended over the weekend offering New Yorkers free bus rides.
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The fare free program ended on Saturday for all five boroughs. It started almost a year ago offering trips on the Bx18A/B, B60, M116, Q4, and S46/96 bus lines.
According to a new report from the MTA, nearly half of bus riders in New York City are skipping out on paying their fares.
According to officials, 48% of bus riders did not pay during the first three months of 2024, up almost 30% from 2020.
"We let people get out of the habit for paying for buses during COVID," MTA Chair and CEO, Janno Lieber said. "It's hard to put that genie back in the bottle, but we have to do it because otherwise we're not going to be able to keep up the level of service and that is unacceptable."
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The agency reported losing $315 million in 2022 due to bus fare evasion and an additional $285 million from subway turnstile jumpers.
FOX 5 NY spoke to some New Yorkers who admitted to skipping the fare, because they simply cannot afford it.
"The economy is going up, prices are high. Everybody is trying to do the best they can, like me," one rider explained. "Before I go through the gate, I'll ask. Sometimes they let me through, sometimes they don't."
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The MTA is stepping up efforts to combat fare evasion by expanding its "Eagle Teams" program. These unarmed employees board buses to check for fare compliance and issue tickets to those who haven't paid. The program is set to be expanded to include more routes as part of the agency's enforcement strategy.
For some regular riders, like Mark Zeisler, the rise in fare evasion is a troubling sign of the times.
"It's really annoying. It's almost like there's no set of internal rules that people have anymore about paying for things," Zeisler said.