New York City is celebrated for its transit options — and infamous for its high cost of living.
Over 3 million people ride the subway every day, going through the turnstiles to enter the sprawling transit system that runs with the help of their fares.
Some New Yorkers pay the newly increased $3 fare, which took place last month, without much thought, but for others, transportation is difficult to afford.
One in five New Yorkers struggle to afford subway fares, according to the latest survey by the nonprofit Community Service Society. To help them, several programs help New Yorkers pay transit costs, but each has different rules and processes to join.
The two primary ways that qualifying New Yorkers can use to slash the cost of transit fares: Fair Fares NYC, a city-run program under the Department of Social Services, which is based on income, and Reduced-Fare, an MTA-run program based on age and disability. There are also smaller programs to help young New Yorkers and ferry riders afford transit.
Ready to get a reduced rate for the buses and trains? Here’s what New Yorkers should know about applying for the discounted fare options:
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Fair Fares NYC
Fair Fares NYC is a city-run program that slashes the cost of transit fares in half on subways, buses and Access-A-Ride — the paratransit service for individuals with disabilities or health conditions that can make using public buses or trains difficult. It also reduces fares on the Staten Island Railway, Roosevelt Island Tramway and Hudson Rail Link, and is available to residents regardless of immigration status.
The Department of Social Services reports that 389,405 New Yorkers as of January are enrolled in the program, accounting for 40% of eligible New Yorkers.
The program launched in 2019 to provide New Yorkers with incomes at and below the federal poverty level access to reduced fares, but it has gradually expanded its eligibility to apply to individuals and households making up to 150% of the federal poverty line. For a family of three living in New York, that means they cannot make more than $40,980 to qualify for the program.
“Folks who qualify are overwhelmingly in desperate need, and so these are folks who are really having trouble making ends meet, and for whom every dollar counts,” Danny Pearlstein said, policy director for Riders Alliance, a transit-advocacy organization. “A real concern is that people may place themselves in harm’s way by skipping the fare and place themselves at risk of ticketing or arrest.”
Here are the household income limits to qualify in 2026:
| Individuals in Household | Maximum Income |
| 1 | $23,940 |
| 2 | $32,460 |
| 3 | $40,980 |
| 4 | $49,500 |
| 5 | $58,020 |
| 6 | $66,540 |
| 7 | $75,060 |
| 8 | $83,580 |
How to apply: Fair Fares
New Yorkers can apply online through ACCESS HRA, the city’s online portal for benefits or in person at one of five Fair Fares offices. There is one Fair Fares location in each borough, open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed on holidays.
Documents are required to verify the applicant’s age, address and income. The list of suggested documents can be found here, including a government-issued photo ID, bank statements and individual tax returns from the prior year.
Documents must be uploaded using the ACCESS HRA app or brought in person. After submitting an application, applicants have 10 days to submit the required documents. Once submitted, the city notifies the applicant by mail when the application has been reviewed, which may take up to 30 days.
Upon approval, the city will mail a Fair Fares OMNY card to the individual’s address, which may take up to three weeks to arrive. Participants may use the Fair Fares-issued OMNY card, or immediately apply the discount directly to a personal OMNY card, bank card or mobile wallet through the ACCESS HRA website or mobile app.
Fair Fares enrollment lasts for one year and can be renewed as long as the participant is still eligible. Riders will receive a renewal deadline via text and mail, and they should renew at least 30 days before the deadline to continue receiving the discount without pause. The quickest way to renew is online and includes submitting proof of income eligibility again. Renewal may also be done in person at a Fair Fares location.
Bronx resident Jeremiah Gonzalez has been enrolled in Fair Fares since November 2024.
“I’m currently unemployed. I don’t have the means to make money besides the cash assistance HRA gives me,” he said. “I have to stretch that $183 a month in certain ways.”
Gonzalez said Fare Fares comes in handy for him.
“I don’t have to pay $3 every single time I go to a job appointment, or to here, or to wherever,” he said, adding that the discount keeps him from trying to beat the fare.
The city budget sets aside $120 million to cover the cost of Fair Fares, according to HRA Deputy Commissioner Monica Ealey. Outreach efforts like promotions on trains, buses and screens inside subway stations are robust to help New Yorkers connect with the program, including partnering with city agencies and community organizations to reach individuals who may be unaware of the benefit. The Department of Social Services also advertises it on trains and buses, with texts and emails sent to HRA clients and “transit talks” held at subway stations several times a month.
Reduced-Fare Programs
The Reduced-Fare program applies to any New Yorker age 65 or older, or any person with a qualifying disability. Enrollees pay half of the fare for subways, buses and the Staten Island Railway. Riders who take the the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North, the MTA’s commuter railroads, also pay half for one-way, peak fares. The program also slashes the fare for express bus trips anytime except the weekday peak periods of 6:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Disabled New Yorkers should apply for Fair Fares if they are under the age of 65, meet the income requirements (see above) and want to receive reduced-fare Access-A-Ride trips. Half-off rides with Access-A-Ride do not apply to senior riders or riders with disabilities in the Reduced-Fare program.
An online application is not currently available for the Reduced-Fare program, which means applicants must apply in person or by mail. Applicants who sign up in person may receive their Reduced-Fare OMNY card the same day, but applicants who apply by mail may wait up to three months before receiving a Reduced-Fare OMNY Card. There are two different applications for people aged 65 or older and those with disabilities.
How to Apply: Reduced-Fare riders 65 and older
Apply in person at one of the 29 subway stations with Customer Service Centers open 24/7, at the MTA’s Customer Service Center in Lower Manhattan or at Mobile Sales vehicles. Check the schedules here for when they may visit your neighborhood.
Bring an ID card to apply. The list of valid forms of photo ID is here and includes a valid driver’s license, passport from any country and state photo ID
Daisy, a senior citizen, applied to the program in person at the Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue/74th Street station complex in Queens. “It was very easy. They’re very helpful,” she said. “I’m still working part-time, so it affords me the ability to go there. I do not drive. I can’t walk to work.”
How to Apply: Reduced-Fare riders with disabilities
People with disabilities are more likely to live on a fixed income or have lower-paying jobs than nondisabled individuals, and cost can be a barrier to transportation, according to Anna Humphrey, an organizer at the Center for Independence of the Disabled.
For New Yorkers with disabilities, including those unable to drive or afford taxi services, discounted fares allow them to go to work, healthcare appointments and simply enjoy the city without increased financial strains.
In person, you can apply for the Reduced-Fare program in select subway stations with Customer Service Centers open 24/7, at the MTA’s Customer Service Center in Lower Manhattan or at Mobile Sales vehicles. Check the vehicles’ schedules here for when they may visit your neighborhood.
Bring documentation of your disability via a copy of a Medicare card issued for reasons other than age, or certification from a physician or licensed healthcare provider for physical, cognitive disabilities or mental health conditions.
The list for qualifying disabilities is expansive and covers physical, cognitive and mental health conditions.
Riders with chronic disabilities must re-certify every four years, a process Humphrey called “unnecessary.”
“If someone has a permanent disability, that’s never going to change,” she said. “We just want to see the application process simplified, and the recertification part is an issue.”
Eman Rimawi-Doster underlined the needlessness of having people with disabilities reapply during a rally at City Hall for expanding public transit on Feb. 4. She is a disability justice organizer and a double amputee.
“I am not a starfish,” she said. “My legs are not going to grow back.”
Certification forms can be accessed here or at the in-person Customer Service locations.
Applying in person can be a barrier to accessing reduced fares for seniors or people with disabilities who may be mobility impaired and struggle to reach customer service locations. The MTA will ship its Reduced-Fare OMNY cards to those who choose to apply by mail.
If you choose to sign up by mail, download an application here for applicants aged 65 and older, which requires a passport-style photo and a copy of a valid ID.
Download an application here for applicants with disabilities, which includes documentation of a qualifying disability in addition to a passport-style photo and a copy of a valid ID.
Mail the application and documents addressed to the MTA Reduced Fare Program at 130 Livingston St. Brooklyn, NY 11201-9625.
Subway fares for kids and students
Up to three children under 44 inches tall ride for free with a fare-paying adult.
Student OMNY cards, distributed by NYC public schools at the beginning of the school year, are valid 24/7 — even during summer. Students get up to four free rides a day and receive a new card from their school administration each year.
Ferry discounts
For New Yorkers who cruise city waters, there is the Ferry Discount Program administered by the NYC Ferry. Individuals are eligible for $1.45 one-way tickets if they are age 65 or older, have a disability or are already enrolled in Fair Fares or the Reduced-Fare program. But enrollment is not automatic; those who want the discount must apply separately to the ferry system, which is operated by the Hornblower company.
Online applications and physical application forms in multiple languages can be found here.
If you choose not to submit an online application, drop off completed forms to the Wall Street Pier 11 ticket booth, or mail them to the Ferry Discount Program at 63 Flushing Ave., Building 5, Suite 100 Brooklyn, NY 11205.
High school students in grades nine to 12 at public, nonpublic and charter schools may also receive $1.45 one-way ferry tickets with the Ferry Student Discount Program. Students can choose whether they want to access a ticket discount code on the NYC Ferry mobile app or receive discounted paper tickets only available at the Wall Street Pier 11 ticketing window.
To get the student discount, parents or guardians must log in or create a NYC Student Account for discounted tickets on the NYC Ferry app. They may also submit an application for discounted paper tickets online or at the Wall Street Pier 11 ticket booth.
Student discount tickets are only available to use on weekdays — intended for students travelling to and from school. They are accessible until the end of August, when students must re-enroll in the program and receive a new code.
