NYC Transit Lost $1 Billion Due to Fare Evasion, Watchdog Says

New York City’s transit system in 2024 lost approximately $1 billion of revenue from fare evasion, a vast amount that could help fix budget shortfalls or cover three rounds of fare increases, according to a fiscal watchdog.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which runs the city’s subways, buses and commuter rail lines, has called the problem an existential crisis and is using different strategies to reduce users avoiding the fee.

New York City bus riders skipping the payment are the biggest challenge, accounting for $568 million of lost farebox revenue last year while subway riders failed to pay $350 million, ...