M.T.A. Looks Beyond Enforcement After $690 Million in Fare Evasion
“For years, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has mostly relied on the same approach to deter people from sneaking into New York City’s subways without paying. As passengers trickle in, police officers stand next to turnstiles and write tickets to those who jump them. Yet even after a dramatic increase in enforcement, the transit system lost $690 million to fare evasion last year, officials say. Now, the M.T.A. is grappling with a more existential question that is not about how to crack down on fare evasion, but about whether criminal enforcement is the right approach at all.”