Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
MTA

Spreading Falsehoods on Student Fares, Brodsky Takes Page From Giuliani

The Westchester Democrat who carried the banner for congestion pricing foes in Albany two years ago is grabbing attention with another anti-transit stance. Posing as a defender of New York City school children, Assembly member Richard Brodsky sent a letter to the MTA this week claiming that "the actual cost of free and discounted student fares is close to zero." Twenty-three of his Assembly colleagues, including New York City Democrats Jeffrey Dinowitz and Linda Rosenthal, have signed on.

brodsky.jpgHim again.

Brodsky's assertion is a patently false claim that has a history of surfacing when politicians try to shirk their responsibility to pay for student transportation. The argument hinges on the faulty assumption that the MTA runs a fixed number of trains and buses which students can hop on and off without affecting how the system operates. It ignores the fact that the 584,000 students who receive free or discounted fares comprise a significant portion of New York City Transit's daily ridership -- and that most of them use the system all at once. To handle the load, the MTA must run more buses and trains.

"About 20 percent of the morning peak bus requirement is moving schoolkids," said Gene Russianoff of the Straphangers Campaign. "Anyone who's been on a city bus in the morning knows exactly the truth of that."

On the subways, when students head home around 3 o'clock, there's a whole peak period distinct from the post-work evening rush hour. "They have to put out more trains to handle the afternoon rush," said Russianoff. (For more on the logistics of transporting students, read this excellent post by Jarrett Walker.)

"It's just ridiculous to say that it costs zero," said Russianoff, adding that the true cost probably lies much closer to the MTA's $214 million figure in yearly foregone fares.

In ignoring the facts about student transport, Brodsky has company in addition to his fellow Assembly members. He joins the likes of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whom Russianoff remembers making a similar argument when the city attempted to withdraw funding for student transit passes back in 1995. That showdown ended when the city, state, and MTA each agreed to contribute $45 million to student transportation.

The facts are: for fifteen years the MTA has been shouldering an increasing proportion of the cost of getting kids to school; Brodsky, the rest of the state legislature, and Governor Paterson have cut the state's contribution to covering that cost even further; and, in being asked to pay for an educational expense -- student transport -- the MTA is an exception among American transit agencies.

Up in Albany, however, robbing from transit is the norm.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Beach Reading: Zohran Mamdani’s Answers to Streetsblog’s Mayoral Candidate Survey

Spend the holiday weekend with Zohran Mamdani's answers to Streetsblog's mayoral candidate questionnaire.

July 4, 2025

Friday Video: Why NYC Needs ‘Low-Traffic Neighborhoods’

London's Church Street, like so many of our business corridors, was choking on cars — until the advent of the low-traffic neighborhood.

July 4, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: E-Bikes in Parks … Permanently Edition

The Parks Department will permanently allow e-bikes in city parks following a two-year pilot. Plus more news.

July 4, 2025

Anti-Miracle On 34th Street: Adams Administration Pauses Work On 34th Street Busway

The highly-anticipated 34th Street busway may not happen under Mayor Adams after all, sources said.

July 3, 2025

Manhattan DA Says Alleged Central Park Hit-and-Run Cyclist Didn’t Flee, Drops Charges

Prosecutors said the 30-year-old cyclist "remained on the scene for about 45 minutes after the crash and waited for paramedics to arrive to treat the injured person."

Sean Duffy’s ‘Great America Road Trip’ Wants You to Drive to Central Park

Sean Duffy's "Great American Road Trip" encourages Americans to drive to sites in the most transit-rich and car-choked parts of the country.

July 3, 2025
See all posts