Between June 2020 – June 2021, only 78 summons were issued by the MTA Police. What is the solution? Spend more money to create a “Fareness” Blue-Ribbon panel.
Meanwhile, fare-beaters account for 31.5% of all bus riders up from 29.3% during the last quarter of 2021 and for 12.5% of all subway riders up from 9.8% over the previous quarter.
I blame bail reform laws that wreak havoc in our society turning good people to bad, but especially Senator Charles Schumer for sending $16 billion COVID relief aid that disincentivize the MTA to fix problems.
Update: June 2, 2022. MTA Communications Director, Tim Minton, posted a video on April 28, 2022 of a “fare-beater” in November 28, 2018, which NY Post caught as misleading. MTA decided to penalize NY Post and double-downed the latte-lady as a thief. Meanwhile, MTA is to spend $6 billion to expand a section of the Second Avenue Subway and to open a long delayed connection of Long Island Railroad to Grand Central that has cost $11 billion when it was projected $4 billion. Thank you Senator Chuck Schumer.
