Disability advocate voices concerns regarding MTA’s anti-fare evasion pilot program

Dustin Jones, with United Equal Access New York, says he’s worried for the safety of all riders and questions how this will impact the safety of commuters.

Asha McKenzie and Adolfo Carrion

Feb 9, 2024, 1:26 AM

Updated 297 days ago

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An advocate for New Yorkers with disabilities says that the MTA is not listening or thinking of their disabled riders during the rollout of their pilot program against fare evasion.
According to the MTA, the agency lost $285 million from subway fare evasion in 2022. The MTA is testing out a 15-second delay of emergency doors to see if it will stop fare evaders who slip through the door when it is open.
Dustin Jones, with United Equal Access New York, says he’s worried for the safety of all riders and questions how this will impact the safety of commuters.
Jones says he has been fighting for improved accessibility on the MTA for years, and this program feels like a step back for New Yorkers who need equal access. He adds that the better solution in his eyes is to have more officers on the platforms to prevent fare evasion.
The three stations that will be a part of the program are 3rd Avenue-138th Street in the Bronx, Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn, and 59th Street-Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.