Res. No. 172

Resolution calling upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to establish a Metrocard discount fare program through which eligible non-profit organizations can receive and distribute discounted Metrocards to their clients.

By Council Members Van Bramer, Chin, Reynoso, Rose, Espinal and Menchaca

Whereas, The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is North America’s largest network for transportation that serves a population of 15.1 million people in a 5,000 square mile area including New York City, Long Island, southeastern New York State, and Connecticut; and

Whereas, MTA subways, buses, and railroads provide over 2.62 billion rides annually, according to the MTA 2013 Annual Report; and

Whereas, The MTA public transportation network allows New York City to maintain its status as a world hub of finance, commerce, culture, entertainment, and business; and

Whereas, This public mass transit system optimizes the New York City economy by way of opening up job opportunities for numerous people across a broad region; and

Whereas, According to the recent American Community Survey by the Unites States Census Bureau, the City’s labor force consists of 4.11 million people; and

Whereas, The 2013 unemployment rate in the City is 8.9 percent compared to a national rate of 7.0 percent, according to the United States Department of Labor; and

Whereas, The Community Service Society conducted a survey of low-income New Yorkers in 2013, finding that 21.2 percent of the City’s population are under the poverty level, which is statistically unchanged from 2011 at 20.9 percent; and

Whereas, According to the MTA, four out of every five rush-hour commuters travelling to New York City's central business districts commute by the public transit services; and

Whereas, According to MTA figures in 2012, the average weekday subway ridership was 5.4 million persons and the annual ridership was 1.7 billion people; and

Whereas, In 2012, the average weekday bus ridership was 2.2 million persons and the annual ridership was 6.7 million people, as reported by the MTA; and

Whereas, In 1990, the Metrocard fare for a single ride was $1.15, increasing by $.25 in 1992 and another $.25 in 1995, and the fare continued to increase in 2005 to $2.00 and by another 25 percent in 2009 to $2.50, where the fare rate stands today; and

Whereas, Over 1.98 million people in the City’s labor force depend on commuting to work by public transportation and Metrocard fares have been increasing more rapidly in recent years, when viewed from the MTA’s inception in 1904; and

Whereas, Many non-for-profit organizations exist in New York City in order to provide crucial services that vulnerable communities would otherwise not have access to; and

Whereas, Many New Yorkers are facing hard economic times and non-profit organizations are striving to ease their troubles; and

Whereas, In an attempt to mitigate the plight of many New Yorkers, eligible non-profit organizations should be granted Metrocards to distribute to their clients at a discounted rate to support or promote an individual’s ability to search for employment, or attend family court, apply for federal, state, and city benefits without burdening clients with the increasing fare of Metrocards; and

Whereas, Economic conditions and unemployment rates put a strain on the City’s population, especially upon those New Yorkers with limited financial means; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to establish a Metrocard discount fare program through which eligible non-profit organizations can receive and distribute discounted Metrocards to their clients.

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Res 2091/2013

LS 1026/2014

April 4, 2014