Susie Kamara is a home health worker and barely gets by, but makes too much to qualify for the city’s half-price transit program known as Fair Fares.

“To be honest, it’s affected me a lot because I was just close to be qualified City Hall. I need it to visit my clients,” she said. “So I had to save up every week to make sure I’d be able to afford the transit.”

What You Need To Know

A new report from the Citizens Budget Commission, also known as CBC, makes the case for raising the income threshold. It says increasing it to 250% of the federal poverty level would allow over 700,000 more people to enroll — 2 million people total at an annual cost of $146 million a year

While the City Council supports expanding eligibility, and in fact, making all transit free for those currently enrolled in fair fares, on Wednesday they examined a bill that would increase enrollment

Meanwhile, Mayor Zohran Mamdani weighed in exclusively to NY1, supporting both expansion and increasing enrollment

Kamara joined transit advocates at City Hall ahead of a hearing on the program to push for expanded enrollment.

A new report from the Citizens Budget Commission, also known as CBC, makes the case for raising the income threshold. It says increasing it to 250% of the federal poverty level would allow over 700,000 more people to enroll — 2 million people total at an annual cost of $146 million a year.

“We’d be expanding the program to cover one in four working New Yorkers, to cover people earning 20% more than the minimum wage, and putting $750 back in the pocket of a full-time commuter,” Andrew Rein, the president of Citizens Budget Commission, said.

The current threshold is 150% of the federal poverty level, which means to qualify, someone must make just under $24,000 or a family of four about $49,000 or less per year.

While the City Council supports expanding eligibility, and in fact, making all transit free for those currently enrolled in fair fares, on Wednesday they examined a bill that would increase enrollment.

“You try to do the application process. It takes hours. There are so many bureaucratic hurdles,” City Council Speaker Julie Menin said. “This system is broken. So we are here today to call, to demand for an expansion of Fair Fares.”

The current enrollment is just under 400,000 out of 1.2 million who are eligible. The bill would require automatic enrollment for anyone who receives other social services.

The city’s Human Resources Administration pushed back, citing privacy issues.

“Benefits applications require access to personal information and clients authorizing review of their confidential information. Such information is a requirement to proceed with most, if not all, benefits applications,” Rebecca Chew, the chief program officer of the Human Resources Administration, said. “Such sensitive information is subject to numerous privacy regulations and laws.”

Meanwhile, Mayor Zohran Mamdani weighed in exclusively to NY1, supporting both expansion and increasing enrollment.

“We know that whether it’s at the same threshold, it’s that right now, we need greater levels of utilization. And also there’s the conversation about increased levels of eligibility. And I think all of this is a critical part of how do we make the nation’s most expensive city one where working-class people can afford to get around,” he said.