MTA Police Report 40% Drop in Fare Evasion at Major NYC Subway Hubs

Fare evasion incidents decreased significantly this year at Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station, and Atlantic Terminal, according to data presented by MTA Police (MTAPD) officials today.

MTAPD Chief Thomas Taffe announced during a monthly agency board meeting that the department saw a 40% year-over-year reduction in fare evasion incidents at the three key transit hubs. This decline comes as the MTA struggles with a nearly $1 billion annual loss due to unpaid fares and tolls. Taffe attributed the improvement to strategic enforcement and a renewed focus on training officers to issue Transit Adjudication Bureau (TAB) summonses, which do not result in criminal court appearances.

The department increased fare evasion enforcement by 13% while simultaneously reducing overtime costs by $5 million and operating with a similar number of officers. “We had a really big push in 2023 to really enforce the rules when it comes to fare evasion,” Taffe said. “Prior to that, MTA officers were in the subways, but they weren’t really enforcing the rules. We found they weren’t trained very well in the subways yet.” Beyond enforcement, the MTA has also been implementing measures like deploying unarmed gate guards and upgrading turnstiles to deter fare evasion, as detailed on the MTA website.

Alongside the drop in fare evasion, quality-of-life complaints at major MTA hub stations – including Grand Central, Penn Station, Atlantic Avenue, and Sutphin Blvd.-Archer Ave-JFK Airport – decreased by 58% year-over-year. MTA spokesperson Laura Cala-Rauch stated recently that the agency is “making steady progress and winning the fight against fare evasion,” and expects further reductions with the continued rollout of tap-and-ride technology and new fare gates. Fare evasion is a misdemeanor in New York State.

Officials say the MTA will continue to monitor stations and adjust enforcement strategies based on data analysis to maintain the downward trend.