EDITORIAL
TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF ‘FAIR FARES’
For all the talk about inflation and the city’s
ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,
we as a city need to pound the drum
harder about ways to cut costs.
Some 750,000 New Yorkers are eligible right
now to receive half-priced unlimited MetroCards
through the “Fair Fares” program. Some say even
more working-class residents of the city are also deserving
of discounted fares; they argue the city and
the MTA should work together to expand it.
Noble as that goal is, there’s just one problem: Not
enough eligible New Yorkers are applying for the
program as it is. Just over 250,000 people have applied
for it, or about a third of all eligible residents.
The proponents say it’s not because of a lack of
want in New York City; it’s simply a lack of communication
and promotion. Mayor Eric Adams recently
vowed to change that dynamic, saying that the city
government would do more to promote the Fair
Fares program and ensure that every eligible New
Yorker who wants a discounted MetroCard can get
one.A
nd why shouldn’t they? The savings are tremendous.
A 30-day unlimited MetroCard costs $127; Fair
Fares cuts that price in half, to $63.50. Multiply that
by 12 months in a year, and the cardholder saves $762
annually on their transportation costs.
Every dollar saved is a dollar earned for a New
Yorker living on a low or fixed income. They can
turn around and use those saved dollars toward paying
for other necessities, providing a little more relief
in an economy that constantly puts tremendous
strain on their wallets.
We’ve covered the Fair Fares program numerous
times over the past year, and we believe it can be
of great benefit to New Yorkers in the most need, at
minimal cost to the city taxpayer.
The $75 million commitment the Adams administration
is making toward Fair Fares represents just
0.076% of the mayor’s proposed $98 billion budget for
the next fiscal year. Talk about bang for your buck.
Applications for the Fair Fares program are open
now, and we encourage eligible New Yorkers to sign
up today. Visit nyc.gov/fairfares to check your eligibility
and submit an application.
It’s your money and your city. Take advantage of
this golden opportunity to save a few bucks while
you ride the greatest public transportation system
in the world.
HOW TO REACH US
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.12 COM | FEB. 25 - MARCH 3, 2022
Just over 250,000 people have applied for the Fair Fares program, or about a third of all eligible residents.
Photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA New York City Transit
A BRAVE FIREFIGHTER LOST
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It was most sad to read that another brave firefighter
has died. On Thursday morning, Feb.
17, New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Acting
Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh announced
the death of firefighter Jesse Gerhard, 33,
a seven-year veteran of the FDNY.
Jesse appeared to have died of a heart attack
while on duty in his firehouse, Ladder Company 134
in Far Rockaway, Queens. The previous day he was
fighting a fire in Far Rockaway.
Here was a dedicated and brave firefighter who
lived out his dream. To be a firefighter, one has to
remember this is a most demanding and dangerous
job and takes very special men and women. These
brave men and women do what they do in trying to
save lives and property.
As Grand Knight of St. Anastasia Knight’s Columbus
in Douglaston, I would like to offer my
heartfelt prayers to the family and fellow firefighters
of Jesse Gerhard.
Let me point out that many of our members are
police officers and firefighters.
Now as such I feel greatly saddened that our city
has lost another brave fighter. This now brings the
number of FDNY firefighters who have died in the
line of duty to 1,156.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Bellerose
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