>>> ON METROFOCUS, THE UNLIMITED

METRO CORD HAS BEEN THE DE FACTO

PASSPORT HERE IN NEW YORK

ALLOWING RIDE TORS GET TO ALL

FOUR CORNERS OF THE CITY.

BUT THE PRICE TAG, $32 FOR A

SEVEN-DAY HARD AND $$121 MORE A

30-DAY CARD IS OUT OF REACH FOR

MANY LOW INCOME NORTH AMERICAERS

BUT A GROWING VOICE IS PUTTING

PRESSURE ON THE MAYOR TO ENACT A

MULTIMILLION DOLLAR PROGRAM

REDUCING FARES FOR LOW INCOME

NEW YORKERS.

THE CITY ALREADY OFFERS A

PROGRAM FOR RIDERS 65 OR OLDER

AS WELL AS DISABLED RIDERS.

AS PART OF OUR INITIATIVE

CHASING THE DREAM, POVERTY,

EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY IN

AMERICA.

WE SPOKE TO THOSE WHO HAD MAKE

DECISIONS BETWEEN THE NEXT MEAL

OR PAYING FOR A RIDE TO WORK.

>> ONE OF THE BEST TIMES THE

PEAK TIME IS RUSH HOUR THAT'S

WHERE YOU RUN INTO MOST OF THE

PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SWIPE YOU ON

THE TRAIN.

>> NAGGENLE CARSON AND HIS WIFE

TOOK ME A CLOSE BY TRAIN STATION

HERE AT 125th STREET IN EAST

HARLEM THEY DON'T HAVE ENOUGH

MONEY FOR A 30-DAY, 7-DAY OR

EVEN JUST A SWIPE FOR A ONE-WAY

RAID ON THE TRAIN.

MANY TIMES THEY DEPEND ON THE

KINDNESS OF OTHERS IF NOT.

>> GO ON THE UPTOWN SIDE WHERE

THERE IS NO BOOTH, YOU KNOW.

AND WE'LL LOOK AROUND MAKE SURE

NO COPS ARE THERE OR GO THROUGH

THE GATE, YOU KNOW.

THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO.

>> JASMINE AND NATHANLE ARE TWO

OF THE 800,000 NEW YORKERS

LIVING AT OR BELOW THE POVERTY

LINE.

PART OF THE GROWING GROUP

DEMANDING THE CITY PRI A REDUCED

RATE METRO CARD.

THEY WORK ODD JOBS HERE AND

THERE BUT CURRENTLY ARE

UNEMPLOYED AND HOME ZBLOOLS FOR

ME I'M DEPENDEDENT GETTING THE

TRAIN, THE BECAUSE TO GET TO

WHERE I HAVE TO GO.

NOBODY WANTS TO WALK ALL DAY.

I NEED IT.

YOU KNOW, I NEED A REDUCED FARE

TO HELP ME WHERE I WON'T NEED A

REDUCED FARE.

BUT SOMETHING FOR ME PERSONALLY

I NEED THIS SO GET ON THE TRAIN.

>> THE COUPLE SAT DOWN TO TALK

WITH ME ABOUT THE COST OF THE

TRANSPORTATION HANGS OVER LIFE

LIKE A STORM CLOUD.

>> TRAVELING OVER FOOD AND

SFENSS YOU MAY NEED FOR THINGS,

PERSONAL ITEMS WHATEVER IT MAY

BE.

YOU REALLY IS HAVE TO FACTOR IN

EVERYTHING.

BUT TRAVEL IS A HUGE, HUGE, HUGE

HOLE IN YOUR POCKET NP.

>> THEY CURRENTLY STAY AT A

NEARBY SHELTER AND USE RESOURCES

AT PICTURE THE HOME TOLLS

HOPEFULLY LAND A FULL-TIME JOB.

SOME AREN'T THAT LUCKY.

>> SOME OF THE MEMBERS ARE IN

BROOKLYN, YOU KNOW SAYING STATEN

ISLAND, QUEENS, YOU KNOW, SO

THEY'RE COMING FROM ALL OVER.

WHEN YOU TAKE IN TIME AND THINGS

LIKE THAT WITH SOME OF THE -- A

LOT OF THE SHELTERS HAVE IF YOU

DON'T GET ON THE TRAIN IN TIME

OR STUCK AT A STATION TRYING TO

GET A SWIPE YOU'RE THERE 30, 40

MINUTES LONGER NAN YOU NEED

NONYOU MIETD NOT GET TO YOUR

SHELTER IN TIME.

>> THAT CAN MEAN STAYING ON THE

TRAIN.

>> STAYING ON THE TRAIN.

>> THE UNLIMITED METRO CARD OR

EVEN ONE METRO CARD.

SWIPE IS SUCH A NECESSITY FOR

LOW INCOME NEW YORKERS THAT

THEY'RE MAKING SACRIFICES ON

OTHER NECESSITIES.

AND SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND

IT'S REALLY NECESSARY THAT MAYOR

DE BLASIO HELP THE NEEDIEST.

>> REBECCA WITH THE RIDER

ALLIANCE HAS BEEN VOCAL IN

SOMETHING CALLED FAIR FARE.

THEY RALLIED ADDED CITY HALL AND

HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF

COUNCIL MEMBERS BACKING THEM

INCLUDING COREY JOHNSON.

THEY INCLUDED IT IN THE 2019

BUDGE.

BUT THE DISCOUNT FARE PROGRAM

WOULD ALLOW WORKING AGE NEW

YORKERS LIVING AT OR BLOW THE

POVERTY LINE OF $29,833 A YEAR

TO RECEIVE HALF PRICE METRO

CARDS.

THE MAYOR EMBRACED THE IDEA BUT

SAYS IT NEEDS A REVENUE SOURCE.

HE SAYS A MILLIONAIRE TAX IS THE

ANSWER BUT IN THE LIKELIHOOD OF

THAT PASSING IN THE STATE

LEGISLATURE IS SLIM SO NONE.

>> FAIR FARES WOULD ONLY COST

ABOUT .2 OF THE CITY BUDGE.

IF THE CITY CAN'T AFRAID THIS?

WHAT IS IT DOING?

>> DIFFERENT TIME WHEN I CAN GET

THE MONTHLY METRO CARD BECAUSE I

DIDN'T PAY MY LEONARD.

MY RENT IS DUE TP THERE IS NO

GIVEN TIME I CAN PAY THE LEONARD

AND ONE SIDE EACH MONTH BY THE

NINTH.

SO I HAVE -- I GET PAID

BIWEEKLY.

EACH PAYDAY I HAVE TO PAY HALF

THE RENT OR AFFORD A MONTHLY

MODERATE CARD OR A WEEKLY METRO

CARD FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

>> DARLENE JACKSONLY LIVES IN

THE SOUND VIEW SECTION OF THE

BRONX.

WORK WOULD BEING PART TIME AND A

SINGLE MOM AND SAYS SHE WILL

QUALIFY FOR THE REDUCED FARE

WHICH COULD SAFE HER MORE THAN

$700 A YEAR.

>> YOU A, MAN, I'M GOING TO

START CRYING.

SORRY.

I AM A SINGLE PARENT.

I TRY TO PROVIDE EVERYTHING FOR

MY SON SO HE DON'T HAVE TO SEE

THE STRUGGLE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT

HIM -- I DON'T WANT HIM TO FEEL

LIKE HE IS LIKE BEING LEFT OUT

OF -- OF OPPORTUNITIES.

LIKE I WAS SAYING BEFORE, IF IN

PROGRAM WAS TO BE FUNDED, WHAT

WOULD I DO WITH THE $700?

I WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT HIM IN A

BASEBALL LEAGUE OR A BASKETBALL

LEAGUE.

OR GO AWAY FOR THE SUMMER.

OR YOU KNOW SOME COMPUTER

PROGRAMMING COURSE.

>> DARLENE MIRRORS THE

SENTIMENTS OF NATHANLE AND

JASMINE WHO SEE THE PROPOSAL

PROGRAM AS A STEPPING STONE TO

GREATER INDEPENDENCE.

>> I HAVE A COLLEGE EDUCATION.

THERE IS NO SPECIFIC LOCAL OR

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND.

.

.

THIS IS JUST NEW YORK CITY.

UNFORTUNATELY THE COST OF LIVING

AND THE LIVING WAGES COINCIDENT

COINCIDE SO IT'S A RAT RACE

TRYING TO LIKE BE ABOVE WATER.

>> I GET UP AT 6:30 IN THE

MORNING TO TAKE THE 52 BUS AT

7:48.

AND THEN WHERE I CATCH THE FIVE

TRAIN.

>> THE REDUCED FARE COULD ALSO

HELPS YOUNG STUDENTS TRYING TO

JUGGLE SCHOOL EXPENSES AND

TRAVEL.

MAWISHA IS A FRESHMAN AT THE

TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

SHE SAYS SHE NEEDS HELP TO PAY

FOR THE COMMUTE.

>> I GET HOME FOR MY BROTHER.

MY MOM DOESN'T WORK.

THE MONEY I GET FROM FINANCIAL

AID I HELP WITH MY BROTHER TO

PAY FOR THE BILLS.

SO LIKE GETTING -- PAYING LIKE

$60 A MONTH FOR A METRO CARD CAN

REALLY HELP MY FAMILY.

>> AS I WALK WITH MAWISHA TO THE

EARLY MORNING CLASS SHE SAYS SHE

HAS BEEN PART OF THE EFFORT TO

GET REDUCED FARES.

THE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS NEW

YORKERS COULD USE IT JUST AS

MUCH.

>> FOR PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE A JOB

BUT STILL LIVING IN SHELTERS

THEY COULD SURVIVE.

HOUSING FOR THEM AS WELL.

ACTUALLY IT REALLY DOES HELP.