What does $2.90 mean to you?

 

For many people, $2.90 is enough to buy a bagel or coffee on their way to work, but for a majority of New York residents, $2.90 is the price to access one of the city’s largest public services: the MTA transit system. With daily ridership numbers around four million, it’s unquestionable that public transportation is an integral part of living in the city. Thus, it is concerning that the MTA has become a burden for students. Nearly three fourths of NYC students within the Department of Education system identify as economically disadvantaged, more than three times the national average. Student metrocards were implemented to make student commuting expenses less of a burden. However, since its development in 1997, the MTA’s implementation has been unsatisfactory. While students receive metrocards for use during the academic year, both video and anecdotal evidence suggests that the cards are not accomplishing enough. From the 5:30am – 8:30pm weekday time limit to the daily three swipe limit to the lack of weekend swipes, student metrocards fail to meet student transportation needs.

 

Many students depend on the MTA to go to school and return home from their extracurriculars; however, as a result of the shortcomings of the student metrocards, many NYC students face unnecessary and potentially traumatic encounters everyday with MTA employees and even law enforcement. From our conversation with peers, we know that when metrocards fail or aren’t reliable, students resort to hopping turnstiles. More resources need to be dedicated to understanding the prevalence of this issue. According to NYPD reports, 121 adolescents aged 10-17 were summoned to court for fare evasion in 2022. Even more students were harassed by officers for not having fares. When we spoke with our peers, Victoria, a student that commuted from her high school in Manhattan to her home in Queens, reported that she was told by police to go back after turnstile hopping. “There were genuine times I didn’t know how I was going to get home because of it. They’re also really aggressive when they tell you to go back, when they can clearly see you’re a kid,” she recalled. The fact that students like Victoria are more likely to be arrested on their way to school is a little reported part of the school to prison pipeline.

 

Though these encounters are avoidable, the three main problems of the student metrocard system- insufficient fares, insufficient days, and too early curfews- make it stressful for students to commute.

 

A video by Inside Edition, “How New York Commuters Evade Paying Subway Fares,” shows many individuals using emergency exit doors to evade train fares. However, Inside Edition failed to report that among these individuals were 10th-grade students from Hunter College High School heading to gym class. After Inside Edition’s investigation was aired, a student at Hunter College High School reached out to the Gothamist and informed them that the individuals in the video evaded fares because the student MetroCards only gave them three swipes a day. With traveling to and from school and extracurricular activities, there weren’t enough swipes for students to get to gym class. While we know from our own interviews with students that this is not an isolated incident, there is no public data available to show just how widespread the issue is. The MTA has not been transparent about the rationale behind the three swipe limit. Additionally, there is no indication that the limit has been reconsidered to meet the continuously changing needs of students.

 

 Scarlet, a student at Townsend Harris High School, had this to say about being confronted by an MTA worker for turnstile hopping when she was just 11 years old after losing her school metrocard on her way home: “The MTA official began to yell at me for train hopping. I tried not to cry…At the time what really hurt was that I didn’t have any other option.”

 

Similar to how the students shown on the Inside Edition video and Scarlet were publicly reprimanded and shamed for not being able to pay the fare, many students across NYC are also being admonished for fare evasion. Even now, as a graduating senior, Scarlet, along with numerous other students, report similar difficulties trying to navigate the MTA on their way to and from school.

 

 Issues with metrocard access can also result in young adolescents being stranded on their way back. G, a student who often commutes from Brooklyn to Manhattan, remembers the panic of having their metrocard timeout on their way home after extracurricular activities. G always had an extra paid metrocard on her– just in case– but on that day, there was no money on it. Walking home was an option, but it was dark and she didn’t feel safe walking at night. Thankfully, the bus driver was understanding and let her in. Student metrocards don’t take into account that students, especially those in high school, have extracurricular activities, tutoring sessions, and jobs where they may get home late. These activities also necessitate that students go to school or other programs on their weekends. Extending the curfew and including weekend swipes is an easy fix to ensure that low income students can receive equitable access to an education.

 

Many students aren’t as fortunate as G was though. When students are forced to ask for help when their metrocard fares have run out, they are often seen as tricksters or troublemakers. Ruth, a Queens student who commuted to school in Manhattan, shared that the MTA worker “told me that it was my fault I had no swipes and I had to pay for the fare like everyone else.“ Ruth was only able to get home because she happened to find a friend who had an extra swipe on their card. Many concerned parents stretch their purse strings to avoid situations like this. “I would always have my parents to transfer money to my credit card or call an Uber,” Penny, a student from Queens, said. “My family is already poor so this was a huge burden.” Students should have a reliable method of getting home without burdening their parents or relying on the kindness of strangers.

 

All of these problems come down to the fact that the NYC student metrocard system isn’t as effective as it should be. Even when the MTA comes up with solutions, they aren’t forthcoming about informing students about them. For example, the MTA silently launched a four fare metrocard for schools to distribute without informing the group that would be most impacted by them: students. This ties back to the MTA’s lack of transparency with sharing information with the public. The current student metrocard system has had a negative impact on low income students and makes it difficult for them to get to school and thus equitably access their education.

 

In response to the growth of fare evasion, the MTA, in coordination with DoE Chancellor David Banks, established the Blue Ribbon Panel, a group focused on encouraging fare payment through education, equity, and enforcement. Last year, students from across New York were invited to openly share their opinion on fare evasion, with one group including Scarlet. Over the course of the meeting, the students brought up hard hitting questions about the MTA’s policies and budget breakdown, and demanded more transparency and empathy in fare policies. The panelists took note of the students’ concerns. As of the time this op-ed was written, the MTA has recently released an update with their Blue Ribbon Panel Report. As one of the groups that attended the Blue Ribbon Panel meeting, we’re eager to see the MTA’s next steps after promising to do more for students than simply enforce the fare.