In response, the MTA cited the "threat of fare evasion" as a reason not to embrace electronic proof of payment. But experience suggests there's no cause for concern. In fact, in San Francisco and right here in New York, proof of payment systems have led to less fare evasion, not more.
New York's Select Bus Service routes rely on proof of payment via ticket vending machines and paper receipts to speed up trips. To ensure people don't cheat the system, inspectors occasionally check for receipts on board. The MTA's own data show that on these routes, fare evasion is lower with the proof of payment system than without -- between 50 and 80 percent lower, depending on the route.
The experience has been similar in San Francisco, where the SF Municipal Transportation Agency implemented proof of payment and all-door boarding on its bus lines in 2012. A 2014 SFMTA report on all-door boarding showed that fare evasion continued to decline after the new fare system was implemented. The rate decreased from 9.5 percent to 7.9 percent between 2009 and 2014.
Fare evasion declined in San Francisco between 2009 and 2014. The city implemented "proof of payment" in 2012. Image: SFMTA
The "threat of fare evasion" with proof of payment systems is not actually much of a threat. But the benefits of electronic proof of payment are substantial.
On SBS routes, proof of payment has shaved about 10-15 percent off travel times, according to the MTA. But expanding the current vending-machine-and-receipt-based system to all 16,000 bus stops in the city could cost about $1 billion, according to the Regional Plan Association. The MTA's next fare payment system is a cost-effective opportunity to take the benefits of proof of payment systemwide, and bus riders can't afford for the agency to let it go to waste.
Born and raised in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, David fell in love with journalism as a kid accompanying his reporter dad on stories while school was out. A reporter at Streetsblog from 2015 to 2019, David returned as Streetsblog Deputy Editor in 2023 after a three-year stint at the New York Post. A graduate of Montgomery Blair High School and the University of Maryland, he lives in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.
ALBANY — “They are putting every barrier in our way to not have to face us directly and look us in the eye and then make an unconscionable decision. This is Albany at its worst,” said Amy Cohen.