Interim President of MTA Demetrius Crichlow stated, "Since we've been doing this, we've watched people take out their card and pay, so it's not that it's an issue of whether or not people have the ability to pay, they're just choosing to evade it." This emphasizes that many fare evaders can afford the fare but choose not to pay.
MTA enforcement efforts resulted in a dramatic increase in weekly summonses, climbing from 387 in January of 2024 to 2,263 by August. This surge illustrates the agency's commitment to tackling fare evasion amid ongoing financial challenges.
Commuters expressed their frustration with fare evaders, with one rider, Susan Tilson, stating, "I ride public transportation all the time, and I see fare evaders all the time, and it's just not fair to those of us who pay the fare to have others come on for free." This sentiment highlights the perceived unfairness among those who consistently pay for their rides.
As enforcement ramped up, some riders welcomed the measures, arguing it was necessary to recover lost revenue, especially since congestion pricing was halted, thus putting pressure on public transport financing.
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