Poorer New Yorkers Would Get Half-Price MetroCards Under Council’s Budget Plan

New York City may spend hundreds of millions of dollars on half-priced subway tickets for low income newyorkers. Some NYC Council members want to set aside $212 million for the initiative of the $88.7 billion municipal budget. 44 of the 50 city council members have joined the speaker of the council in support of the measure. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city would not pay for it. But would support it if the state did. [[David Jones, CEO, Community Service Society of New York]] “We still have to convince him that this is a city responsibility. Because none of this money would go into the hands of the MTA. It goes only to 800,000 poor people riding the trains.” But at least one New York City resident said he doesn’t think it’s realistic. [[Perry Silver, New York City Resident]] “You know on its face, it sounds great. We are helping the poor. But, how do you make up for that lost revenue? And it’s a problem.”