While officials are already pushing for making free OMNY cards more accessible for students, the City Council has set its sights on a much larger group. A major new budget proposal could soon provide free subway and bus rides to nearly one million New Yorkers, turning public transit into a truly accessible utility for the city’s most vulnerable residents
The Plan: Expanding “Fair Fares” into “Free Fares”
On April 1, 2026, City Council Speaker Julie Menin unveiled the Council’s response to the FY2027 budget. The headlining proposal? Transforming the existing Fair Fares NYC program.
Currently, Fair Fares offers a 50% discount on subway and bus fares (including the Staten Island Railway and Roosevelt Island Tram) for low-income New Yorkers. Under the new proposal, that discount would jump to 100%, effectively making the commute free for those who qualify.
Who would be eligible for free rides?
The proposal specifically targets New Yorkers who need it most. If passed, the city would fully cover fares for residents living at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.
- Income Threshold: For a single-person household, that’s approximately $23,475 per year
- The Reach: While more than 370,000 people are currently enrolled in Fair Fares, the city estimates that nearly one million residents actually meet the eligibility requirements
This plan moves in a different direction than Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s previous campaign focus on making all city buses free for everyone, instead prioritizing a targeted “free ride” for the city’s lowest earners across both buses and subways.
How would the city pay for it?
Transit affordability is a cornerstone of the Council’s $122 billion budget response. Currently, the city spends about $121 million on Fair Fares.
While Speaker Menin’s office hasn’t released a final price tag for the expansion, the Council is pitching it as a “fiscally responsible” investment in the city’s workforce. Menin stated:
Fair Fares has been a lifeline for working New Yorkers, providing eligible riders with discounted access to one of our city’s greatest assets: our transit system. The Council is making a significant Fair Fares expansion among our top priorities.
What happens next?
The proposal is currently in the negotiation phase. The City Council and Mayor Mamdani’s administration will spend the next few months hashing out the final FY2027 budget, which must be finalized by July 1, 2026.
In the meantime, advocates like the Riders Alliance are pushing the city to go even further, calling for the eligibility cap to be raised to 300% of the poverty level to help the “missing middle”–New Yorkers who earn too much for help but too little to keep up with rising costs.
Think you might already qualify for the current 50% discount? You can check your eligibility for Fair Fares NYC here.
