Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), Council Chambers - City Hall
Committee: Committee on General Welfare
The Committee on General Welfare, joined by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (Chair Shaun Abreu), held an oversight hearing on the Fair Fares program, with Speaker Julie Menin attending and delivering remarks. The hearing covered Intro 248 (automatic enrollment in City-created benefits such as Fair Fares, sponsored by Chair Crystal Hudson), Intro 125/825 (free replacement transit benefit cards, sponsored by Council Member Christopher Marte), Resolution 52 (Council Member Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, supporting state legislation to expand Fair Fares to 200% of the federal poverty level), and Resolution 143 (unlimited transfers within a two-hour window). Testimony was heard from HRA/DSS, the MTA, the Independent Budget Office, and dozens of advocates and riders, most urging expansion of eligibility (many to 300% FPL), free transit for the lowest-income New Yorkers, and automatic enrollment. No votes were taken; the bills and resolutions were discussed. Council members sharply questioned the administration about low enrollment (roughly 40% of eligible New Yorkers), the application process, and a roughly 50% non-renewal rate.
0:23 Seats that good morning
0:23 .welcome, state New York City
0:25 council hearing for the
0:26 comedian general welfare
0:27 joined with the committee on
0:29 transportation and
0:29 infrastructure at this time
0:30 ,please. Science, all cell
0:32 phone electronic devices.
0:32 Maybe we should speak at
0:33 today's hearing pleas fell on
0:35 appearance cards with the
0:35 sergeant at arms and when it
0:37 has a friendly reminder.
0:38 Please do not approach today
0:40 is we are really begin
0:41 . Thank you so much good
0:44 morning and welcome to today's
0:45 oversight hearing on fair
0:48 fares. I'm Crystal Hudson
0:49 welfare committee chair and my
0:50 pronouns, are she her? Thank
0:52 you to speaker Julie Menin
0:54 prioritizing this topic and
0:55 for being here this morning
0:56 and thank you to chr aai brave
0:58 and the committee on
1:00 transportation infrastructure
1:01 for joining our committee and
1:01 s248, which would require the
1:08 department of social services
1:09 to create a system to
1:11 automatically enroll
1:12 individuals and City created
1:13 benefits such as fair fares.
1:16 An opt out mechanism would
1:17 also be established to allow
1:19 eligible individuals t
1:20 odecline automatic enrollment
1:21 if they wish to. We're joined
1:23 this morning by counsel
1:25 members Brooks Powers, mart
1:29 Wong and cheung, I'd now like
1:29 to turn it over to speaker
1:30 mennen to deliver her
1:33 statement. Thank you so much,
1:34 it's an honor to be here today
1:36 and I really want to thank my
1:39 colleagues, chair Hudson and
1:40 chair of break you for holding
1:41 this important hearing fair
1:44 fares is an indispensable
1:46 program that provides eligible
1:49 writers with discounted access
1:50 to one of our cities greatest
1:53 assets are public transit
1:55 system. It is truly a lifeline
1:57 for working New yorkers yet
1:59 far too many people who are
2:00 eligible for the program have
2:02 not applied for this much
2:04 needed benefit because they
2:06 are simply unaware it exists
2:09 or because of bureaucratic
2:10 hurdles that make I
2:11 tincredibly difficult to access
2:12 is this benefit as we urge the
2:16 administration to do during
2:17 our response to their
2:18 preliminary budget on April 1
2:20 ,we must strengthen our
2:22 investment in fair fares to
2:24 provide free public transit
2:26 for New yorkers out or below
2:28 150% of the federal poverty
2:30 level for bus for subway for
2:34 para transit and we worked as
2:35 we've also worked towards
2:36 increasing awareness through
2:38 automatic enrollment, which we
2:40 strongly back by the cost of
2:41 living continues to skyrocket.
2:43 We must be very intentional
2:46 about our commitment to making
2:48 this City affordable and
2:49 accessible for all who want t
2:50 olive, stay and build a future
2:53 here. In addition to being a
2:54 key aspect of the social
2:58 safety net affordable
2:58 transportation is one of the
3:00 most vital tools we have to
3:02 strengthen local communities
3:03 and dr inclusive economic
3:07 development when working class
3:08 New yorkers can access mass
3:12 transit through systems like
3:12 fair fares. There are better
3:14 equipped to participate fully
3:16 in the city's economy.
3:18 The reduced fare that this
3:19 program provides does not just
3:21 represent a discount. It also
3:24 translates to consisten
3:27 temployment, education, child
3:28 care and health care for low
3:30 income workers in particular
3:32 access to mass transit can
3:33 literally be the difference
3:35 between whether someone can
3:35 keep a stable job or not
3:39 ,access to transportation can
3:40 serve as a meaningful avenue
3:43 to achieve economic resilience
3:47 and mobility when there are
3:48 vast inequities across zip
3:48 codes and income in New York
3:50 City programs like fair fares
3:52 can serve to close them. I am
3:54 hopeful that today's hearing
3:55 will serve as a platform for
3:56 us to strategize in ways we
3:59 can strengthen accessibility
4:00 and availability of the fair
4:02 fares programs so that and we
4:03 look forward to the testinymo
4:06 and in closing. I just want t
4:07 obe clear, this has been one of
4:08 the council's top priorities,
4:10 which is why we included it in
4:12 our April 1 budget response t
4:14 oinsist on an expansion of fair
4:18 fares to include bus, subway
4:20 and paratransit as well as
4:21 automatic enrollment, I'll now
4:22 turn it back over to chair
4:24 Hudson. Thank you. Thank you
4:29 so much speaker men fair fares
4:31 was first launched in New York
4:32 City in 20 19 and the New York
4:35 City human resources
4:38 administration or administers
4:39 the program
4:39 . Fair fares offers eligible
4:41 low income New yorkers of 50%
4:43 discount on subway and
4:44 eligible bus fares as well as
4:45 access or ride trips as of
4:50 February 2026, there were
4:54 379354 fair fares enrollees
4:57 . Currently New York cit
4:57 yresidents between the ages of
5:00 1864 with incomes up to 150%
5:01 of the federal poverty level
5:04 qualify to participate in a
5:06 fares, even though enrollment
5:07 in fair fares has steadily
5:09 increased since the pro
5:10 programs inception that
5:12 increase is nowhere close to
5:12 where it should be, according
5:14 to a 20 20 survey conducted by
5:16 community service society of
5:19 New York 54% of eligible fair
5:21 fares, respondents reported
5:22 that they had little to n
5:23 oknowledge of the program. We
5:24 know that the City has made
5:26 efforts to conduct outreach
5:27 and promote awareness about
5:29 fair fares, but more can
5:29 always be done. I introduced
5:33 intro hundred 48 with the goal
5:33 of ensuring that all of those
5:34 who are eligible for fair
5:37 fares can access the program
5:38 when it comes to promoting
5:41 equity and economic mobility
5:42 for vulnerable New yorkers
5:43 accessible transportation is
5:43 key for too many low income
5:46 residents the cost of getting
5:47 around as a daily barrier t
5:49 oaccessing jobs, education,
5:50 health care and a sense of
5:53 community.
5:54 Programs like fair fares are
5:55 so critical
5:55 . The program helps to ensur
5:56 ethat individuals and families
5:57 are not forced to choose
5:59 between paying for a subway
6:00 ride and meeting their basic
6:01 needs like food or housing
6:04 . As elected officials. We
6:05 have a responsibility to find
6:06 ways to improve access to
6:08 programs like fair.
6:09 Fares, we hope that today's
6:11 hearing will inform an
6:12 assessment of how we can
6:13 improve access to this program
6:15 to better support the New
6:16 yorkers who need it most we
6:18 look forward to receiving
6:19 testimony from the
6:20 administration advocacy groups
6:21 and other interested members
6:22 of the public to learn more
6:24 about the city's successes
6:27 areas for improvement and
6:27 ideas for greater access to
6:29 fair fairs. I want to conclude
6:30 by thanking the committee
6:32 staffer for their work on this
6:33 hearing I'm into to killa juan
6:35 rosenberg, Justin campos and
6:38 elizabeth children. I'd also
6:39 like to thank my staff, andre
6:40 w, right, and alex ruined 10
6:41 I'll now pass it over to chair
6:47 a break. Thank you. Chair.
6:48 Good morning and welcome
6:48 today's joint hearing of the
6:49 New York City Council's
6:51 committees on general welfare
6:52 and transportation and
6:54 infrastructure. I am council
6:55 member Shaun Abreu the chair
6:56 of the committee on
6:57 transportation and
7:00 infrastructure
7:00 . I'd like to thank speaker
7:01 managed your Hudson and the
7:01 staff of both committees for
7:03 their work and preparing for
7:04 this hearing of the agencies
7:06 and members of the public for
7:08 joining us today fair fares
7:09 was launched in 20 19 after
7:12 important from the counseling
7:15 community partners the program
7:16 provides eligible New yorkers
7:16 with a 50% discount on subway
7:19 and eligible bus fares as well
7:21 as access to ride trips the
7:23 program is administered by the
7:24 New York City human resources
7:26 administration h r e. But the
7:29 plays a key operational role
7:31 in ensuring that fair fares
7:33 omni cards and omni readers
7:36 apply the discount properly
7:38 across the transit system.
7:41 This program matters because
7:42 transit affordability is a
7:42 central issue in New York City
7:44 and determines whether people
7:45 can get to work school medical
7:48 appointments, childcare care
7:49 and other essential services
7:52 for many New yorkers,
7:52 especially those with lower
7:54 incomes. Public transportation
7:55 is a lifeline to access the
7:57 City over
7:57 . The years the council has
7:59 worked to expand fair fares
8:02 eligibility most recently
8:03 eligibility was expanded to
8:04 poverty lineyorkers earning up
8:11 . As of February 2026, ther
8:12 ewere more than 279000 fair
8:15 ,fair parolees, that is
8:16 meaningful progress, but we
8:17 also know that a lot of
8:18 eligible New yorkers are still
8:21 not enrolled a September 2025
8:22 report by the regional plan
8:24 association found that only
8:26 39.9% of eligible New yorkers
8:27 aren't enrolled in the program
8:31 . That gap raises important
8:31 questions for today's hearing
8:34 are eligible. New yorkers
8:34 aware of the program is the
8:36 application process simple
8:37 enough, our outreach efforts
8:38 reaching the people who need
8:40 his benefit most our language
8:42 access, digital access and
8:44 documentation requirements
8:45 creating unnecessary barriers
8:46 and what more can the City do
8:49 to connect people
8:50 automatically to benefits for
8:50 which they already qualified.
8:52 The legislation. We are
8:53 hearing today seeks to improve
8:55 affordability and equity
8:56 across the city's public
8:59 transportation systems
9:00 introduction number 2 48 would
9:02 probably remove obstacles to
9:04 enrollment by requiring the
9:05 City to automatically enroll
9:06 eligible individuals and fair
9:07 fairs and other City to creat
9:08 ea benefit programs, and I
9:11 thank my co chair for
9:11 sponsoring such important
9:13 . Legislation. Similarly,
9:14 intro number 8 2 5 addresses
9:17 the issues of replacement
9:18 transit benefit cards, losing
9:19 a card having a card stolen or
9:22 having a car damaged shoul
9:23 dnot prevent someone from
9:24 getting to work school or a
9:28 medical appointment
9:29 . This bill will require h r
9:29 eight's. It should duplicate
9:31 fair fares transit benefit
9:32 cards when they cart is
9:34 damaged, destroyed, stolen or
9:36 lost with one free replacement
9:37 and subsequent feed based
9:40 replacements.
9:41 Finally, the two resolutions
9:42 we are hearing today called
9:43 him a state to increase access
9:45 to public transit by expanding
9:46 fare discounts and allowing
9:49 for unlimited transfers. These
9:50 proposals recognized that the
9:51 current fare structure does
9:53 not always match the way New
9:53 yorkers actually traveled.
9:57 Transportation costs continue
9:58 to rise and those calls fallen
10:00 hardest lower income
10:04 households when transit
10:05 becomes unaffordable, the
10:06 consequences are real.
10:07 For your jobs, longer
10:09 commutes and greater isolation
10:10 from services and communities,
10:13 people depend on out of
10:14 forward to hearing from the
10:15 administration, the advocates
10:16 and members of the public
10:19 about the current state of
10:19 fair fares the barriers t
10:20 ohire an enrollment. The
10:23 transition to omni. Please
10:24 keep it down to the chambers
10:27 replacement car challenges is
10:29 participation and what steps
10:30 are needed to make the program
10:31 more accessible, effective,
10:33 inequitable before we begin. I
10:34 would like to thank my staff
10:35 and the committee staff for
10:36 their hard work and preparing
10:39 for today's hearing, lisa
10:40 quickly, my deputy chief
10:41 theodore miller counts to the
10:45 committee, sierra townsend
10:45 counts to the committee, Kevin
10:47 kostovski, senior policy
10:48 analyst committee john brazil
10:49 ,your analyst for the committee
10:52 and asian principal financial
10:54 alison the committee, I would
10:54 also like to thank the staff
10:56 of the committee on general
10:57 welfare for their work on
10:58 today's hearing, I would not
10:59 pass it over to my culture
11:03 chair Crystal Hudson. You so
11:05 much chair and I'm going t
11:05 ocall on a couple of our
11:07 colleagues with bills before
11:08 the committee and before that,
11:09 I'd like to acknowledge that
11:10 we've been joined by council
11:12 members petey, Ana, Justin
11:14 Sanchez not related council,
11:21 Brooks Powers.
11:21 Thank you, chair Hudson and
11:22 chair bray you for holding
11:25 this important hearing public
11:27 transport transit is essential
11:28 to how New York is work and
11:30 move throughout our City. But
11:33 for too many families, the
11:35 rising cost of transit
11:36 continues to create real
11:38 barriers to opportunity.
11:40 That's why I introduced
11:42 resolution 52 in support of
11:45 state legislation sponsored by
11:46 state senator leroy comrie to
11:48 expand fair fares and ensure
11:49 that more New yorkers can
11:54 access affordable transit.
11:56 This proposal would expand the
11:57 fair fares programs to those
11:58 earning up to 200% of the
12:02 federal poverty level across
12:03 our broader transit system,
12:06 including subways, buses
12:08 ,paratransit the long island
12:09 railroad road and metro north
12:10 because, of course, as New
12:11 yorkers with multi we know
12:14 that the cost of living in New
12:15 York City far exceeds federal
12:19 poverty threshold families who
12:20 not qualify today are still
12:21 struggling to afford daily
12:23 mmutes to work school and
12:26 essential services when we
12:27 make transit more affordable,
12:29 we connect people to
12:30 opportunity and strengthen our
12:33 entire City. I look forward t
12:34 oworking with my colleagues in
12:35 government to advance this
12:37 proposal and deliver
12:38 meaningful relief to New
12:39 yorkers, thank you,
12:42 thank you so much, counselor
12:42 Brooks Powers and now I'll
12:43 turn it over to Council Member
12:48 mart. Good morning, everyone.
12:49 I would like to thank majority
12:51 leader or a brad you chair
12:52 Hudson for holding tay'sod
12:53 hearing. I also want to thank
12:54 the speaker for being in
12:56 attendance today. I'm here
12:57 today to discuss and hundred
12:59 25 a bill that requires ss
13:01 provide more than one
13:04 replacement fair fares card
13:04 for those who lost their car.
13:06 My office has had a number of