1 in 5 NYC subway and bus riders can't afford the fare, survey finds, days before Fair Fares expands

One in five New York City residents who ride the subway or bus say they can't afford the fare when they need to travel, according to a new brief from the Community Service Society (CSS), an anti-poverty nonprofit. The base fare is now $3 a ride.

The finding comes from CSS's 2026 Annual Survey of Housing and Economic Security, which polled 2,027 city residents from Aug. 26 to Sept. 23. The transit analysis covers the 1,837 who said they ride public transportation, and the margin of error for the city sample is about 2.8 percentage points, according to the report.

Who can't afford the ride

• By income: 30% of riders at or below 200% of the federal poverty level said they can't afford fares when needed, compared with 14% of those between 201% and 400% and 7% above 400%.
• Not only the poorest: 29% of riders who can't afford fares live in households above 200% of the poverty line, CSS found.
• By borough: the Bronx had the highest rate, 29%, followed by Manhattan and Staten Island (21% each), Brooklyn (18%) and Queens (15%). CSS notes the Staten Island estimate is based on fewer than 120 respondents.
• By race and ethnicity: 30% of Hispanic riders and 27% of Black riders reported trouble paying, versus 12% of white and 10% of Asian riders.
• Workers: half of everyone who can't afford fares has a job, including about a quarter who work full time for an employer. Among lower-income workers, 54% of self-employed and freelance riders said they can't afford fares.
• Money trouble: 51% of riders who say they cannot make ends meet can't afford fares, compared with 7% of those with more than enough to get by.

What changes Nov. 30

The city's Fair Fares half-price program expands on Monday, Nov. 30, raising the income limit from 150% to 200% of the federal poverty level, NY1 reported. That makes about 340,000 more New Yorkers eligible. For a family of four, 200% of the poverty level is about $66,000 a year, according to NY1. The MTA is also expected to raise fares about 4% next year, the outlet reported.

What CSS wants next

CSS says the city should make fares free through Fair Fares for residents at or below 150% of the poverty level, extend discounted fares to 300%, and make city buses free for all riders, since income-based programs alone "will leave many New Yorkers behind."

City Council Majority Leader Shaun Abreu, who chairs the Transportation Committee, told NY1 he expects the Council to keep expanding Fair Fares, possibly to 250% of the poverty level. The current expansion cost the city $54 million, according to NY1. The Council is also expected to take up Citi Bike prices at a hearing in early December.

Check if you qualify: apply for Fair Fares at nyc.gov/fairfares or by calling 311. Our benefits guide lists the current income limits.