Senate Bill S7486

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7486

SPONSOR: GOUNARDES
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public authorities law, in relation to directing the
establishment of  a fare program which caps the amount of fares charged
to riders during an applicable time period

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To mandate that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) imple-
ment a fare capping policy for the One Metro New York digital fare
program.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one amends Section 1266 of Public Authorities Law by adding a
new subdivision to provide that One Metro New York shall establish a
fare program which limits the fare charged to a passenger in a given
period of time to the value of the unlimited fare pass for such time.

              

Section two provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

This bill mandates that the MTA adopt a fare capping policy as it tran-
sitions to the 100% contactless fare payment system known as One Metro
New York (OMNY). Fare capping will guarantee a just price for transit by
automatically capping single-ride fares when they reach an equivalent
unlimited-pass rate, whether that be daily, weekly, or monthly.  Similar
to the approach other transit agencies have taken in Portland, Oregon
and London, OMNY will count how many times a rider swipes within a given
time frame using single-ride tickets and stop charging after the capped
limit.

Fare capping is a deeply equitable policy, providing automated relief to
the most cash-strapped of MTA customers who may not be able to afford
unlimited passes upfront. According to a recent analysis of MTA turnst-
ile data from 2019, more than 280,000 weekly pass subway riders would
benefit from cost savings, saving around $192 a year, were fare capping
in place. Subway riders from low-income neighborhoods would benefit
most. These individuals not only were more likely to buy single ride
passes before the pandemic, but have also maintained a consistent pres-
ence on the subways throughout COVID-19 as higher income riders have
dropped off. A commonsense measure such as fare capping will ensure that
the OMNY transition protects the most vulnerable commuters while modern-
izing the MTA's fare payment system.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

None

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

TBD

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate