Fair Fares Arrive After 4-Year-Long Wait

After four years of urging the city to subsidize MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers, advocates on Tuesday celebrated a handshake deal between Mayor Bill de Blasio and City Council Corey Johnson on a budget that puts $106 million towards the program. 

"I'm standing here on behalf of all New Yorkers living paycheck to paycheck in a city so rich it's crazy to think that many of us have to sacrifice basic necessities for a MetroCard ," Darlene Jackson, a single mom who lives in the Southeast Bronx, said at the rally at the Fulton Center subway station in Lower Manhattan. "No more rental arrears, final electric turn off notices, skipping a meal or interrupting our cell phone services. Struggling New Yorkers will now have the privilege to plan ahead and save for a rainy day."

The City Council had initially asked for $212 million, but since the program won't start until January, Mayor Bill de Blasio allocated just half of that amount was allocated. The amount is expected to provide all 800,000 New Yorkers living at or below the poverty line with half-priced MetroCards. The city's fiscal year begins July 1.

"Everybody appreciates that it's the first step," Jennifer Jones Austin, the chief executive of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies, said. "We always hope, as advocates, more will be added."

Johnson, who made the so-called Fair Fares program one of his top priorities for the budget, told reporters at the event that there's a multi-year commitment to fund the program.

"It's now about doing the not very sexy but important work of figuring out implementation and reaching the New Yorkers that would benefit," he said.

Mayor de Blasio, who argued until this month that the city did not have enough money in its general fund for the program, praised the agreement, but insisted he would still fight for a millionaires tax that would go towards funding the MTA.

"If we really want fairness we need a subway that works for everyone," he said. "We need a subway that actually works. It's not fair if it doesn't show up. This today is a big step. New York City stepping forward once again directly covering this cost direct to people that need it, not a subsidy to the MTA. We have done enough subsides for the MTA."

The Fair Fares will begin advertising the program in July.