Crackdown on NYC Bus Fare Evasion

Photo byDan GoldonUnsplash

Starting Wednesday, officers from the NYPD and MTA enforcement agency will swarm bus routes that are thought to be "egregious" hotspots for fare evasion.
Top NYPD and MTA officials convened on Tuesday to map out regions where bus passengers are least likely to pay the price, according to a representative for the NYPD.

According to the spokeswoman, the MTA intends to place unarmed guards on buses who are a part of the organization's "EAGLE" fare enforcement team. The guards will be instructed to keep an eye out for passengers who refuse to pay the fee and remove them from the bus at stops manned by NYPD officers. These officers may issue a $50 to $100 summons or, in certain situations, make an arrest.

The initiative was launched a month after MTA officials revealed that almost half of city bus passengers don't bother paying for their rides. They calculated that the issue costs the organization over $300 million annually in missing tickets.

Out of concerns for their safety, MTA bus drivers are not required to enforce the fare.

Mayor Eric Adams has advocated for a redoubled effort to prosecute minor offenses such as fare dodging. Arrests for fare evasion in subways increased by around 250% in 2022 and 2023 with 160% more evasions tickets issued by the NYPD.

According to a previous Gothamist story, taxpayer overtime for the NYPD has cost taxpayers $151 million.

Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani said fare evasion is a result of poverty. His suggestion is to make buses free and have the city and state reimburse the MTA.

"That's about $800 million a year," Mamdani said, "which may sound like a lot of money, and it is substantial, but in the context of a city budget that's north of $100 billion and a state budget that's north of $220 billion, this is just pennies."