Transportation and anti-poverty advocates are pushing the Adams administration to provide an extra $55 million in the next budget to expand the Fair Fares program—through which low-income New Yorkers can qualify for half-priced MetroCards—to include people earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $60,000 for a four-person household.

Marc A. Hermann / MTA

Subway riders entering the system at the Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights station on Wednesday, Jul 26, 2023.

Last year, nearly one in five New Yorkers said they struggled to afford subway or bus costs, according to the results of a survey released Thursday—what transit and anti-poverty advocates say underscores the city’s need to expand its discount fares program.

Nonprofit Community Service Society (a City Limits’ funder) saw 19 percent of respondents to its 2023 “Unheard Third” survey report hardships in covering their transit costs, up from 14 percent in the same survey in 2021 and 18 percent in 2022. The survey, conducted by phone, canvassed 1,113 low- income residents and 645 moderate and higher-income residents across the city.

More moderate- and high-income residents last year—21 and 10 percent, respectively—said they also struggled to afford the subway or bus, greater than in previous years, the report found. The survey was conducted before the MTA’s latest fare increase in August 2023, when the cost of a ride went from $2.75 to $2.90.

“We are expecting to see even higher rates of transit hardship” this year, said Debipriya Chatterjee, a senior economist with the Community Service Society (CSS). She attributed the increased difficulties in 2023 to a number of factors: the drying up of pandemic-era aid and benefits, inflation and rising living costs, and more New Yorkers returning to in-person work that requires commuting.

CSS and other advocates are pressing the city to expand its Fair Fares program, which offers half-priced MetroCards for low-income New Yorkers. Last year, the city invested an additional $20 million to expand eligibility for the discount, which is open to applicants who earn at or below 120 percent of the federal poverty level (up to $37,440 a year for a family of four, or $18,072 for individual).

But that still locks out a swath of residents who struggle to pay for transit, advocates say, including minimum-wage earners. CSS estimates it would cost the city an additional $55 million, on top of the program’s current baseline budget of $95 million a year, to include residents earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($62,400 a year for a four-person household, or $30,120 a year for one person).

In her State of the City address this week, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams included that among her budget priorities this year. “Better access to Fair Fares is needed to ensure it reaches New Yorkers who need support,” she said, “so that more people can access our public transit system to unlock opportunity.”

Reached for comment, City Hall did not directly address the calls to expand the program but provided a statement from Mayor Eric Adams. “We look forward to digging into the speaker’s proposals and continuing to build on two years of collaboration with her and the City Council to deliver on our shared goals,” he said.

State lawmakers also support a Fair Fares expansion: in budget proposals released this week, the Assembly called for adding $127.5 million to Albany’s next spending plan—due April 1—to extend eligibility to those earning 200 percent of the federal poverty level; the Senate proposed expanding the discounts to rides on commuter rail lines within the city.

Inability to afford subway and bus fare can have broader consequences for residents than just a missed ride.

“What we saw was folks saying that they have missed showing up for education and training, job interviews, medical appointments,” said Chatterjee. “And needless to say, any and all recreational meetings, like with family or friends or to museums—basically, what you would expect with restricted mobility.”

Transit costs hit certain populations harder than others, CSS’s survey found. More than a third of low-income working mothers who took part in the questionnaire reported struggling to pay for fares, while 37 percent of low-income Latino respondents did, higher than their Black, Asian or white counterparts.

In addition to expanding elgibility, CSS calls for the city to do more to spread awareness of Fair Fares. While participation nearly doubled between 2020 and 2023, and includes about 320,000 people currently, that’s still a only a fraction of those eligible.

The mayor’s office said it will continue to build on its outreach efforts: via social media campaigns to reach specific zip codes, trainings with community groups to help spread the word about eligibility and by sharing information with food pantries and houses of worship, a spokesperson said.

To reach the reporter behind this story, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org

Want to republish this story? Find City Limits’ reprint policy here.

Downtown St. Paul now has a little Latin flair.

Jackey’s Peg Leg, a new Latin-Caribbean bistro that features live music, DJs and eventually karaoke nights, has opened in the former Hunan Garden space on Cedar Street. The owners of Bullvino’s Churrascaria are behind the new restaurant.

General manager Jim Carlson, who used to run Latin nights at Faces on Mears Park, said the crew is aiming to bring some spice to downtown.

“What we’re trying to accomplish is to bring a different flavor,” Carlson said. “In terms of the food, yes, but also the music scene. We’re bringing a more international flair, and judging the crowd that came last week (opening weekend), I think it’s going to be very successful.”

A filet with garlic at Jackey’s Peg Leg in downtown St. Paul. (Courtesy of Jim Carlson)

The menu features some Latin favorites like chicken and rice, a torta Cubana, ceviche and red snapper, but also giant cheeseburgers, a club sandwich and a Caesar salad.

The space has been entirely remodeled to resemble a pirate ship, with lots of dark wood. The flooring is entirely new — the crew stripped out all the old carpeting and added tile to the dining room and polished the concrete floor in the bar.

On Fridays, the venue will host a Latin music night, with salsa bands and the like. Saturdays will feature international DJs and bands, and starting March 28, Thursday will be karaoke night.

For now, the restaurant will be open 5-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Carlson said they plan to add lunch if they can get the staff and there is demand.

Jackey’s Peg Leg: 380 Cedar St., St. Paul; 651-239-4361

Related Articles

This Pi Day, let five local baking experts guide you to pulling off the perfect pie

The one way to roast any kind of vegetable

St. Paddy’s approaches: Here’s where to find corned beef and cabbage

Six months after reopening, downtown St. Paul restaurant Momento is closing for good

As hockey fans converge on the X in St. Paul, nearby restaurants see one of their busiest weekends of the year

A teen who prosecutors say was driving the car that his friend leaned out of to shoot at a pursuing Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy was charged Friday in juvenile court with aiding and abetting attempted murder.

Devon Ronnie Shack, 17, also faces aiding and abetting first-degree assault of a peace officer, aiding and abetting dangerous weapons-drive by shooting and fleeing police in a motor vehicle in connection with the March 1 incident on St. Paul’s East Side.

Shack, who was arrested Wednesday after turning himself in to police, was scheduled to make a first appearance in juvenile court Friday afternoon. Prosecutors intend to try him as an adult.

Deputy Joe Kill wasn’t seriously injured by the rounds fired by Trevion Armand Figgs on March 1, according to Thursday’s criminal complaint against the 20-year-old. Shrapnel from bullets that hit Kill’s squad struck the deputy near his right collar bone, causing bruising and pain when he turned his head. Figgs, of St. Paul, has been charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault of a peace officer and dangerous weapons-drive by shooting. He remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail.

According to the juvenile petition and criminal complaint, St. Paul police officers saw someone, later identified as Shack, driving a Honda Accord recklessly at Payne Avenue and Jessamine Street around 10:45 p.m. The officers tried to pull him over, but the car sped away.

A short time later, Kill saw the Accord and noticed that two people were in it. When the car blew through a red light at Payne Avenue and Seventh Street, Kill turned on his emergency lights and siren and began to pursue it.

As the Honda headed east on Euclid Street, the front-seat passenger, who wore a face mask, leaned out of the car, sat on the door frame, and fired a tan-colored assault rifle at the deputy, who was 25 to 30 yards behind, the complaint says.

Kill swerved his squad to the left, stopped in the 900 block of Euclid Street and took cover under the driver compartment. Kill thought three shots were fired at him.

Surveillance video audio from the neighborhood recorded approximately three to five gunshot-like noises. Officers found two spent .223-caliber rifle casings in the middle of Euclid Street.

Officers searched the area and found the Accord unoccupied and parked in an alley in the 1000 block of Pacific Street. Surveillance video showed the car in the alley around 10:50 p.m., then two people running east.

A search of the car turned up two spent .223-caliber rifle casings. Paperwork showed Shack was in the process of buying the car.

‘In trouble’

Further investigation showed a close relationship between the teen and Figgs, whose house is in the area where the car was found.

Investigators then received information from Figgs’ Snapchat account. It showed that an account associated with Shack sent Figgs a photo of Figgs wearing a black face mask and holding a tan assault rifle consistent with the one described by the deputy.

On Wednesday, officers executed a search warrant at Figgs’ home and arrested him. In an upper bedroom, officers recovered a tan AR-style rifle stock, a Polymer 80 handgun, a debit card in Shack’s name and loose .223- and 9mm-caliber ammunition.

Officers also executed a search warrant Wednesday at a Brooklyn Park home associated with Shack. His mother said he wasn’t living there because of a “lifestyle she did not approve of,” according to the petition. She said he called her on March 12 and “told her he was in trouble, but he did not explain what happened,” the petition says.

In an interview with investigators, Shack said he turned himself in because he was being accused of something he didn’t do. He said he didn’t shoot anyone. When asked about Figgs, Shack said he “didn’t have anything to say to police,” the petition says.

Related Articles

Man found fatally shot in vehicle in St. Paul’s Dayton’s Bluff

St. Paul man charged with shooting at Ramsey County sheriff’s deputy

Girlfriend of Burnsville man who fatally shot 3 first-responders indicted for straw purchasing firearms

St. Paul man said ‘I’ll die before I go back to prison,’ then fired on Oakdale police officers, charges say

Maplewood mother given probation in 3-year-old son’s fentanyl overdose in West St. Paul