Q: Can the MTA reduce the fare below $2.75 based upon the service customers are receiving? I understand the agency is financially strapped, but can the fare be reduced for those who are low-income and struggling during these difficult economic times? Athena C., Harlem
A: There’s a City-run program that provides discounted MetroCards to low-income New Yorkers called Fair Fares. Many people who are eligible for this benefit don’t know the program exists. We’re trying to change that by working with the Mayor’s team at City Hall to double enrollment in the next year with more robust marketing and outreach.
The MTA also operates a Reduced-Fare MetroCard program for riders who are 65 or older or have a qualifying disability. The discounted rate is half the base fare – so $1.35 for subways and local buses. Applying for the program is free, and you can complete the process online, by mail, or in person at our Customer Service Center or at a MetroCard Van. Photo ID is required for verification. We have forms and assistance available if needed. You can learn more at new.mta.info/fares/reduced-fare. — Michael Ellinas, Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, New York City Transit
Q: When will the MTA install Air Conditioning in subway stations? The heat at some of these stations — while waiting for the train — is absolutely ridiculous! Josh B., Queens
A: We all know August temperatures can be brutal, and the heat customers feel outside has a direct impact on our stations below, which transfer air through what’s known as a push/pull piston system. As trains enter a station, existing air is pushed out of ventilation grates at street level, and when a train leaves a station, air is pulled in from the outside through those same grates. Given that exposure, outside fresh air, cooling in stations isn’t an efficient solution. Fortunately, that’s not the case on board trains, where powerful AC units have 99% reliability rate. — Jamie Torres-Springer, President, MTA Construction & Development
Send us your questions at askthemta@amny.com.
