By Scott Etkin
Commuters who take the M116 bus to and from the Upper West Side and East Harlem get to ride for free starting Sunday, September 24th, thanks to the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s “Fare Free” pilot program. The program eliminates the need for a MetroCard swipe or OMNY tap on five bus routes, one in each borough, for the next six to 12 months.
The M116 route travels in both directions between West 106th Street (at Broadway) and East 120th Street (at Pleasant Avenue). The bus goes north/south primarily along Manhattan Avenue and crosstown at 116th Street. Buses and bus stops along the route will be marked with “Fare Free” signage to indicate that riders don’t have to pay.
The M116 route and the four others – Bx18 A/B, B60, Q4 LCL/LTD, and S46/96 – that are included in the program were chosen based on “their minimum overlap with other bus and subway routes to limit riders’ confusion, and whether those routes were served by buses equipped with automatic passenger counters to monitor ridership effectively,” the MTA wrote in an announcement. “Other determining factors included fare evasion, service frequency, available capacity to address potential ridership increases, equity for low-income and economically disadvantaged communities, and access to employment and commercial activity.”
Elected officals quoted in the announcement highlighted how the program will bring relief to low-income New Yorkers who are struggling with the high cost of living in the city. In total, nearly 44,000 commuters use the five routes that are included in the program during weekdays.
The MTA temporarily made buses free during the height of the pandemic, but since then the agency has begun exploring more ways to limit fare evasion, such as by installing new turnstiles and keeping attendants in front of the gates at subway stations.
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Bravo!
Bravo for what? Dont be naive, nothing if free, you’ll pay it somewhere else and more.
Yes. One of the important functions of government is to redistribute resources so that we can continue to have a functioning society.
Hardly anyone pays to ride the 116 bus. Only those getting on at Broadway Inn, 106.
This comment is an example of the different worlds people of different classes occupy. Plenty of people ride the m116 bus , This is a projection comment , what this really means that this particular person will not benefits so no one else should
the M60 too
I take a crosstown bus daily — seems like that one is free too. I’d say less than 10% of the folks I see hop on during morning rush swipe their cars as their board.
Considering the MTA admits it losses almost a billion dollars a year in fare evasion this is absurd. Unfortunately, our elected’s changed the law to make it only a civil ticket a few years ago, so no one cares. It should be put back to being a criminal summons and each person should be “run” for wants and warrants. Something else our elcted ‘s have banned NYPD from doing to fare beaters. A good number of folks wanted for serious crimes got pinched that way as well a weapons/drugs that got taken of the street
Look, I hope everyone pays their fare. But if you are living that close to the edge that you’re skipping the fare, the $100 fine will be a real hardship.
When’s the last time you saw anyone nabbed by the transit police for fare evasion? That’s as gone as the rotary phone. Rules and laws without enforcement are toothless.
It happens regularly on the SBS Crosstown. I really don’t understand the logic behind it. The MTA trusts customers to pay at the kiosk but then employs crews of men to board the buses and demand that riders produce a paper receipt, or an e-receipt smartphones, or be physically taken off the bus and fined for fare evasion. That began in 2010, so they’ve had 13 years to come up with a better plan. Why can’t there be consistency across all lines and locations?
halo –
Recently saw a person trying to go over the subway turnstyle.
I offered to pay her fare.
She refused – and then successfully jumped over.
BTW here are some subway stations where someone holds open the door – and everyone just swarms in….
They are not all near the “edge”
Those days are never coming back. This is the new normal. You’ll pay $25 to drive into midtown to cover that billion dollars. Service won’t be improved. Or they’ll just raise taxes on the ‘rich’.
And as a quick follow up. This is a test program to make bus/subways free 24/7.
This has not worked in other cities and/or countries. They quickly went back to having fares, as there was no way to come up with the several billion needed to run the system in leigh of the fare $$$ coming in. You may not have to pay a fare, but how much more are you willing to pay in taxes out of your check to cover free transit
The city could impose a 3% payroll tax to pay for the MTA and free rides. Also the congestion pricing could be increased to 50 dollars and the gap would be closed.
There is already a payroll tax imposed (on employers). It’s a percentage – less than 1% – based on the quarterly wages; paid in any quarter when wages exceed $312,500. Search for MCTMT if you want more details.
Manhattan is becoming obsolete, due mostly to the “pandemic.” Why would a company rent 5 floors in midtown when you can rent a 1/4 floor keep the same address and have 90% of your workers remote? Don’t over tax wealthy people, because wealthy people have choices. When they leave they don’t come back and they take their money with them.
People won’t spend $59 on congestion pricing. And a 3 percent payroll tax is yet another reason for companies to leave.
Sure, and what will happen to jobs in the city? A lot of jobs will be moved to Jersey city, Connecticut, et cetera. Not too many companies and small businesses can and will be willing to absorb 3% increase in their payroll costs.
Meanwhile, do you really think the number of people coming to see shows in the city or go to restaurants will not decline?
So the person, who made living honestly, let’s say 100k a year, and commuted to work regularly will now pay 3,000 per year instead of 1457 to cover the cost of free rides to people that jump. That seems fair…NOT!
Nothing will be done to alleviate fare skippers. The politicians have found their way of being money grabbers by penalizing those with personal cars. Raising the tolls, meters and, of course, congestion punishments.
No one was paying to ride these routes, so they just made them free. And they say crime doesn’t pay.
There is no such thing as a free ride. We are paying for it.
I wonder if cameras could catch those jumping the turnstiles. I’m tired of observing people doing this
They already do. How many times have the police released photos of suspects in an assault or mugging on subway platform or car and the suspect is shown mid jump over the turnstile? It’s just nothing is done about it.
I have seen stops outside the UWS where homeless people blatantly hold the emergency doors open for riders to enter the subway without paying and in exchange for $. And tons of riders take advantage.
With free bus to subway transfers and unlimited ride MetroCards, many of these rides are effectively free anyway.
Most of us pay over $132 a month for the unlimited Metro cards in order to get those ‘free’ transfers. How can you compare that to people who skip the fare anyway and are now being rewarded with free rides? This is how the MTA recoups their losses?
Stop the fare beaters.
Whenever I take the bus anywhere it seems that a large percentage of people get on without paying. So we don’t need these feee fares anyway.
And besides, nothing is “free”. If someone gets to ride the bus for free it just means someone else will be subsidizing this with a higher fare.
Very few people pay anymore. Just facing reality. No cop wants to be on video giving a citation to a POC.
And no cop wants the prospect of a deadly encounter with one of the fare beaters.
All this kvetching…..on a brighter note: grab a book or the Sunday Times, take the M116 to First Avenue, walk one block north to E117 and go have lunch or supper at one of the oldest and best thin crust pizzerias in all of Manhattan.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patsy%27s_Pizzeria
If the MTA is making it free because of rampant fare evasion, they should reduce service on those routes. Otherwise, they are sending out the wrong message about the societal impact of fare evasion. Reducing service might affect paying customers, but giving less service to fare beaters has certain benefits. It’s hard to argue that fare beaters deserve more of a free service. You get what you pay for as a result of your behavior.
Eventually local bus service in NYC will be de jure free.
Maybe it should be and focus on fare evasion should be in the subways where serious crime is also more prevalent. It’s near impossible to find a solution to fare evasion on buses. The targeted enforcement actions on buses are not going to produce sufficient benefits systemwide. Also, imagine how much faster buses would travel if the clumsy fare-paying system were eliminated.
Very refreshing to read these comments and see that people aren’t really buying that this is “free” or new.
“The trouble with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.”
Margaret Thatcher
To the commenters complaining about the free route: I hope none of you are using the MTA’s senior citizen reduced-fare cards. Those, too, are giveaways subsidized by other taxpayers.
Brandon,
On the other hand, if my grandpa was paying subway fare and taxes since let’s say age 18, I guess he was subsidizing younger people, people who moved to NYC – .yes?
No, he was paying for the service he received for many years.
The real, underlying issue to all these decisions is who was voted in in the last election.
Who are you going to vote for next time NYC?
The fair (equitable) fare thing would be a few designated free days on all routes, for everyone.
Allowing 5 bus routes to be free is entirely unfair.
After October 21 st it should be easier to get a seat on the westbound M116 now that Target will be closing the East 117th Street location due to rampant theft. Be sure to send thank you notes to Andrea Stewart Cousins, Carl Heastie & Alvin Bragg.