New Yorkers speak out in public comments and a rally at an MTA board meeting

Brooklyn, NY – Dozens gathered on Tuesday, September 30 at the New York City Transit Authority to speak and give public comment at a monthly meeting of the MTA board. The event was organized by the New York Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, as well as other members of the Fare Ain’t Fair Coalition, including the December 12th Movement.

The Fare Ain’t Fair Coalition has been organizing to stop the train and bus fare increase to $3 and expand the Fair Fares program to include those up to 400% of the federal poverty line. Because of their campaign, the MTA delayed the fare increase to January 2026 and set up public hearings. There were four times as many public comments in July as there were during the last fare increase in 2023. Public pressure forced them to walk back other proposals over the weekend, including an increase in the seven-day fare cap, which will now be $1 instead of $2.

The December 12th Movement led a rally and speakout before the public comment period, chanting, “The fare ain’t fair and the poor won’t pay more!” There were 47 community members who signed up for public comment, necessitating an overflow room and recording for those who did not get a chance to speak in person.

The majority of the speakers condemned the fare increase. December 12th Movement member Christian Joseph said, “There’s the working and poor people of this city, and there’s those with the deep pockets. Who are you going to serve? Because this city runs off of the labor, the efforts, the sweat, and the blood of poor and working people. The fare ain’t fair.”

New York Alliance speakers connected the Fare Ain’t Fair campaign to its Cops Off the Subways campaign, specifically their demand to “fund communities, not the cops.” NYAARPR member Jamie Kowalski said, “Meeting the needs of the community is the way we actually reduce crime. And instead of enforcing fares with violence and penalties, we need to stop the fare increases and eventually make the trains a free public service for all riders.”

After the board meeting, the New York Alliance led another speakout in front of the NYCTA building. Speakers reemphasized the connection between the fare increase and the ongoing, inevitable increase in policing to enforce it. They presented community control as a way to take back power over how tax money gets spent. Through community control, people would be able to decide the hiring, firing, discipline, wages and priorities of the police. They would be able to redirect money out of the pockets of billionaires and towards making transit truly affordable and accessible.

The New York Alliance, December 12th Movement. and the Fare Ain’t Fair coalition will continue to organize for safer subways and against the fare increase.

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