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Our nonprofit newsroom plays a crucial role in powering investigations. Join the community that drives NYC's independent local news. Facing a "historic high" in fare evasion, the MTA is now looking to use behavioral research to understand the minds of the estimated 900,000 daily fare evaders. With new grant funding, the agency aims to contract analysts for a study that will apply theories of civic cultural change and behavioral science tools to this issue.

Uncover the Reasons Behind Fare Evasion and Take Action

Understanding the Fare Evaders

The MTA reported this spring that those who don't pay the .90 bus and subway fare could cost the agency up to 0 million annually. A 2023 report found that nonpayment alone cost the agency close to 0 million in operating money and another million in unpaid tolls. The MTA has an operating budget of nearly billion this year.Among the "opportunist" fare evaders, it's stated that if the emergency door is open, they will not pay. For "rebels" (middle to high school students), the motivation might be what the cool kids do. And for "low-income" fare evaders, it's simply that they can't afford the ticket. One bus operator described the effort as "smoke and mirrors" and said the MTA may be dealing with a problem beyond their control.

Changing the Culture

As part of the prospective study, researchers will come up with at least three distinct behavioral interventions for each persona and develop pilot programs. The solicitation also highlights methods that have changed civic behavior elsewhere, like using "dancing costumed zebras" for "traffic calming" and posting mimes at intersections to reprimand "errant drivers and pedestrians," which helped reduce traffic fatalities by half.David Jones, an MTA board member, emphasized the need for a "cultural change" around fare evasion and said enforcement alone is not enough. He pointed to the deployment of unarmed security guards as a step that is already working.

Related Efforts to Stem the Drain

THE CITY reported in August that the MTA plans to double the number of private security guards near emergency exits. About 13% of subway riders now beat the fare, up from just under 3% in 2018. On local buses, the non-payment rate is 48%, compared to just over 20% in 2019.The solicitation notes that penalties, physical barriers, fare inspections, and messaging are the "most common tactics" against fare evasion, but they have had limited success. NYPD enforcement of fare evasion has surged through the first 10 months of 2024, with a 114% increase in arrests and a 13.5% jump in summonses.Jones said expanding measures like "Fair Fares" for low-income New Yorkers will be important. He added that other measures must also be part of the equation. "Yeah, it's going to take a while," he said. "We need a cultural change where people start to say, 'Well no, I'm not going to do that. I don't have to do that and I can get Fair Fares if I don't have money.'"