The opportunity to travel on public transport at half fare.

The Fair Fares program allows low-income residents of New York City to travel on public transportation at half fare. For this, they will be given a card for one year. Half of the fare will be automatically refilled on the card every two weeks.

If the individual qualifies for half fare for the next year before the end of one year, they can re-certify. They will be eligible to receive a new Fair Fares card if they meet all the conditions including income requirements. However, if their income increases, they may not be eligible for the card in the following year. It can be said that the opportunity to travel on public transport at half fare is entirely consistent with income.

To be eligible for the Fair Fares program, a person must fulfill its conditions. There is a specific income limit for eligibility. According to that limit, an applicant can check their eligibility for the Fair Fares NYC program. Based on the income level, if there is one person in the family, their income must be a maximum of $18,072 or below, for two people in the family, it must be $24,528 or below, for three people, it must be $30,984 or below, for four people, it must be $37,440 or below, for five people, it must be $43,896 or below, for six people, it must be $50,352 or below, for seven people, it must be $56,808 or below, and for eight people or more, an additional $6,456 must be added for each extra individual.

For availing this facility, one has to apply by assessing their eligibility on the Fair Fares’ website. Applications cannot be made via email. On March 1st, the Mayor’s office of New York City launched a campaign to encourage the city’s low-income residents to avail this benefit. People were given flyers there, and detailed information about Fair Fares was provided.

During the campaign in Jackson Heights, staff from the Mayor’s office stated that Fair Fares NYC, half-fare, travel on public transportation. Low-income residents of New York City, who are at or below the poverty level in the United States, may be eligible to travel at half fare using the Fair Fares MetroCard. Check your eligibility at nyc.gov/fairfares. After checking, if someone is eligible, they can apply. For more information, call 311. The Mayor’s office, New York City Council, and Fair Fares NYC are working together.

Fair Fares NYC MetroCard works on the subway and eligible bus services. Like regular MetroCards, time and money can be added to it. Applicants must be between 18-64 years old and must be residents of New York City to be eligible for the Fair Fares program. They can check if they are eligible for a Fair Fares MetroCard on nyc.gov/fairfares. All necessary documents must be provided by eligible candidates. Last year, the income limit was even lower, but it has been slightly increased now. Some believe that if Fair Fares were to benefit more people, it would have been better if it were set at the same income limit as Medicaid and SNAP eligibility. This way, a large group of people in New York could benefit from traveling at half fare.

To apply, one must sign up online at the Fair Fares NYC Access-A-Ride site. If someone already has an account on the Fair Fares site, they can log in and apply. If someone does not have an account, they must create one at nyc.gov/accessfairfares. Then they will need to provide their name and email address. They need to create a username and password. They must follow the instructions as shown on the screen. Then they must complete the enrollment. If someone cannot enroll online, they can call 311 for assistance. It is done by the NYC Department of Social Services’ Human Resources Administration and Department of Homeless Services.