Mayor Eric Adams and City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams have agreed to expand eligibility for a program that provides low-income New Yorkers with half-priced MetroCards in the upcoming city budget, an increase that still falls far short of the one desired by the speaker and transit advocates, sources familiar with budget talks told amNewYork Metro.
The Fiscal Year 2025 spending plan will increase the eligibility for the city’s Fair Fares program from those making 120% of the federal poverty line to 145% (about $22,000 per year for an individual), according to one source and confirmed by a second, who was granted anonymity to discuss the not-yet-announced deal. The mayor and the speaker are expected to reach a handshake agreement on the coming fiscal year’s budget sometime Friday.
