NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday that subway fare evasion dropped significantly in the past six months amid a surge in enforcement and other measures to curb the issue.
From June 2024 through December 2024, subway fare evasion dropped by 26%, while bus fare evasion, including both local and express routes, declined by 9.1% during the same period, according to Hochul.
Fare evasion had reached crisis levels as the MTA was losing nearly $690 million in unpaid fares and tolls in 2022, according to MTA’s Blue-Ribbon Panel report.
Hochul attributed the new decrease to increased enforcement, modifications to fare gates at various stations, and other measures aimed at deterring fare evasion. Summonses for fare evasion rose 96% in 2024 compared to 2019, and all subway turnstiles are being reconfigured this year to prevent backcocking, a type of fare evasion that happens when a person pulls a turnstile backward to slip through without paying, the governor said.
“We’re turning the tide against fare evasion to help protect transit riders and taxpayers and continue strengthening our transit system,” Hochul said. “Our work is far from over – and we’ll continue to crack down on fare evasion this year through strong enforcement and new measures coming to subway turnstiles and fare gates throughout the system.”
Additional anti-fare evasion measures, including modern fare gates, will also be installed at 20 more high-traffic stations, Hochul announced.
“We welcome the support we’re getting from Governor Hochul and the NYPD, and also the work that MTAPD is doing on the railroads, and it’s all starting to pay off,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.