If you are a New York City resident, you may be eligible for Fair Fares NYC if you:

• Are between (and including) the ages of 18 and 64; 
• Do not currently receive (or are not eligible for) Department of Social Services (DSS)/HRA carfare or a discounted MetroCard through any other NYC program; and
• Have a pre-tax annual household income that is at or below 100% of the Federal Poverty Level:

(For families/households with more than 8 people, add $4,480 for each additional person.)

Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Access-A-Ride customers who are participating in the Fair Fares NYC program and identify themselves to Fair Fares NYC as an MTA Access-A-Ride customer can get 50% off their Paratransit trips starting July 15, 2020. 

If you are not participating in the Fair Fares NYC program and you are an Access-A-Ride customer, visit the Fair Fares NYC website to check your eligibility and apply.

Fair Fares NYC participants who are also Access-A-Ride customers must complete an intake form to get 50% off their Paratransit trips. Visit the Fair Fares NYC website to complete the intake form.

The discount fare on Access-A-Ride Paratransit trips is $1.35.  Access-A-Ride drivers only accept cash payment for Access-A-Ride trips.  You cannot use your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard for Access-A-Ride trips.

Currently, you must submit an online application for Fair Fares NYC. You can use any computer to submit an online application. You can use a smart phone or tablet to submit your online application and required documents, if any.

The application process has two steps:

1. Submit the online application.
2. Submit required documents, if any, within 10 calendar days of submitting your application using the Fair Fares NYC Doc Uploads mobile app.

Your application is not complete until you submit required documents, if any. When the 10 calendar day period to submit documents ends, complete applications are reviewed and an eligibility decision is made. The review can take up to 30 days.

The Fair Fares NYC application process does not require an eligibility interview and currently does not have a paper application.

If you need help completing your application or submitting your documents, you can visit one of the Fair Fares NYC locations and a staff member will help you.

Check your eligibility and apply for Fair Fares NYC.

Fair Fares NYC participants are enrolled in the program for one year. You will be mailed a notice when it is time for you to renew your enrollment. 

You must submit an online renewal application, and be found eligible, to stay enrolled in the program. 

Your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares NYC homepage will display reminder messages to you when it is time to renew your enrollment.  Both the notice and reminder messages will include your deadline to submit the online renewal application.

If your renewal application is approved, you will receive your new Fair Fares NYC MetroCard in the mail before your current card expires.  

You may be asked to provide documents to verify your identity, age, residency, and income.

The City will not ask about immigration status or record any information about immigration status.

You must submit the required documents within 10 calendar days from the date you submit your application using the Fair Fares NYC Doc Uploads App.

If you do not submit documents within 10 calendar days from the date you submit your application, your application will expire and you will have to submit a new application.

You can view the status of your application anytime online by logging into your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares NYC homepage.

You will be mailed a notice once a decision is made on your application. You can also see the decision in your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares NYC homepage.

Application Approved

If your application is approved, you will receive your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard in the mail 2 to 3 weeks after your application is approved.

Eligible New York City residents are enrolled in the Fair Fares NYC program for one year.

Application Denied

Your application may be denied if you do not meet the program eligibility requirements. You can log into your ACCESS HRA Fair Fares NYC homepage to view the reason for application denial. The notice you received explains why you are not eligible for Fair Fares NYC.

If you think the denial was a mistake, you can request a review of your application in person at a Fair Fares NYC location or by phone. You must make this request within 14 calendar days from the date you receive the notice.

Fair Fares NYC Locations are open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 7 PM, except city holidays.

Bronx

1309 Fulton Avenue
3rd Floor
Bronx, NY 10456
(Between 169th and 170th Streets)

Brooklyn

30 Thornton Street
1st Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11206
(Between Flushing Avenue and Broadway)

Manhattan

413 East 120th Street
2nd Floor
New York, NY 10035
(Between First and Pleasant Avenues)

Queens

114-02 Guy R Brewer Boulevard
2nd Floor
Jamaica, NY 11434
(Between Linden Boulevard and 115th Avenue)

Staten Island

1 Edgewater Street
2nd Floor
Staten Island, NY 10305
(Between Willow and Lynhurst Avenues)

The Fair Fares NYC MetroCard discounted options and prices are:

• $16.50 for a 7-day unlimited pass
• $63.50 for a 30-day unlimited pass
• $1.35 for a single fare (Pay-Per-Ride)

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) MetroCard vending machines will know to charge you the discounted price for an unlimited pass. The turnstiles and bus fare boxes will know to charge you half the regular fare when you swipe for Pay-Per-Ride.

MTA station booths only accept cash payment for Fair Fares NYC MetroCards.

MTA MetroCard vending machines accept payment for Fair Fares NYC MetroCards by:

• Cash
• Credit card
• Debit card
• Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Card

The Fair Fares NYC MetroCard you receive will not have any time or value on it. You must add time or value on your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard to use it.

You can add time for half the regular price or add value to your card at a Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) station booth or MTA MetroCard vending machines, as follows:

• To add time, buy a 7-day unlimited pass or a 30-day unlimited pass.
• To add value, choose the dollar amount you want to add to your card and have available for Pay-Per-Ride fares.

You can add value and time on your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard at the same time. The bus fare box or subway turnstile will use the unlimited ride period first.  Once the weekly unlimited or monthly unlimited ride period ends, the bus fare box or subway turnstile will start deducting half-fare if there is value on your card.

When you use the value on your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard for Pay-Per-Ride, the turnstile or bus fare box will know to charge you half the current fare. This means if you add $10 to your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard, you will have the whole $10 on your card.  Each time you swipe your card, you will be only charged half the current price for a single fare.

Expiring or Expired Cards

The expiration date of your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard is printed on the back of your card. The card will not work after the expiration date. You can use your card until it expires.  

If your card will expire in less than 30 days:

• You may be able to add value for Pay-Per-Ride fares or a 7-day unlimited pass.
• You cannot purchase a 30-day unlimited pass.

If your card will expire in less than 7 days:

• You may be able to add value for Pay-Per-Ride fares.
• You cannot purchase a 7-day unlimited pass.

Please note the following important information about expired Fair Fares NYC MetroCards:

• You should only return your expired card to a Fair Fares NYC location if there is money left on the card and you would like to request a refund. 
• Do not give your expired card to an MTA station agent if you have money left on the card.
• MTA vending machines will not offer to exchange your card when it expires.  

Public Transportation Systems

You can use your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard on:

• New York City subways
• Eligible New York City buses
• The Staten Island Railway (SIR)

You cannot use your Fair Fares NYC MetroCard on:

• Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Express Buses
• The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)
• Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH)
• AirTrain
• Metro-North Railroad