Mass Transit
The NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign fights for safe, reliable, accessible, and affordable New York City mass transit, offers critical information to the public, and empowers riders.

Bus Turnaround Campaign

Fair Fares
Along with coalition partners, the Straphangers Campaign was instrumental in the fight to win Fair Fares, a program that provides half-priced MetroCards to low-income New Yorkers. While this campaign marked a huge victory for low-income New Yorkers, its funding was reduced during the pandemic. Our advocacy in the years since has helped to win substantial funding and eligibility expansions in the FY2023 and FY2024 New York City budgets. Still though, there are hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who are eligible for the program but are not enrolled. According to the most recent census data, roughly 900,000 New York City residents live in poverty, but only just over 312,000 low-income New Yorkers are enrolled in the program. Additionally, a recent study found that 90% of CUNY community college students use mass transit to commute to school and identified that “the challenge of affording a MetroCard came up more than any other single barrier” in college degree completion. For most New York City students, paying for mass transit is an integral part of their higher education budget, and the rising costs can result in students choosing between paying for food or textbooks and getting to class. New York City should boost outreach programs to help eligible New Yorkers apply for the benefit, and Fair Fares should be expanded to include all current CUNY students, and to include New Yorkers at 200% of the federal poverty level.Mass Transit Links & Resources
Lawmakers want oil companies to pay for New York climate projects (Spectrum News, November 30, 2023)
A big issue for the 2024 legislation session (WAMC, November 27, 2023)
They gather up cans and bottles on NY streets for recycling. And they could use a raise (LoHud, November 27, 2023)
WAMC’s David Guistina speaks with NYPIRG's Blair Horner about ethics reform, higher education, and much more. (WAMC, November 23, 2023)
Counties, groups push Hochul for decision on bill to move local elections (Spectrum News, November 23, 2023)
New York’s top court considers redistricting – again (WAMC, November 21, 2023)
2023 Lookback: Budget and Legislative items (ABC News 10, November 22, 2023)
New Yorkers vote (some did anyway) (WAMC, November 13, 2023)
Strengthening ethics in Albany (WAMC, November 7, 2023)
NY hospital safety ranking among worst nationally. Check your local hospital's grade (LoHud, November 7, 2023)
What are New York State's 2023 ballot propositions? Find out (The Daily Gazette, November 2, 2023)
Early voting 2023 has begun (WAMC, October 30, 2023)
Noncompete campaign raises lobbying questions (Albany Times-Union, October 27, 2023)
Hochul dodges questions on who paid for her trip to wartime Israel (Spectrum News, October 26, 2023)
New York lawmakers seek to expand bottle law, including higher deposits (Newsday, October 25, 2023)
Department of Buildings hears from public on landmark climate law (NY1, October 24, 2023)
Should New York's bottle deposit law be updated? Advocates say yes (WXXI, October 23, 2023)
Albany looks to tackle the state’s solid waste crisis (WAMC, October 23, 2023)
Hochul faces a big reform test (WAMC, October 16, 2023)
Making polluters pay for climate resiliency is a priority for these New Yorkers (WAMC, October 9, 2023)
NYPIRG and a coalition of environmental organizations and local elected officials today released a review of the climate costs facing New York City and called on Governor Hochul to make the biggest oil companies – not local taxpayers – pay to cover climate damages
NYPIRG Celebrated Its Five Decades of Victories and College Student
Empowerment
Author and Activist Jane Fonda, Community Service Society’s David
Jones, State Senator Liz Krueger, U.S. Sen. Schumer’s State Director
Martin Brennan, and New Deal Strategies’ Camille Rivera
Received NYPIRG's “changemaker” Awards
Climate Superfund News Conferences: Taxpayer Tally of Climate Costs Since 8/2022 is $2.7 Billion
NYPIRG Statement on the Death of Ryan Thoresen Carson
The biblical rains that are devastating parts of the state are fresh evidence that the costs of adapting New York's infrastructure to the world climate’s "new abnormal" will be staggering. Legislation -- approved by the Senate (S.2129A) -- would require the largest oil companies to help pick up the tab and do it in a manner that will stop them from passing the costs on to consumers. Read NYPIRG's statement on downstate's devastating floods.
Advocates and Business call on Governor Hochul and DEC to release grant funds to struggling Bottle Redemption Businesses
Thousands Join March to End Fossil Fuels, Demand Biden Declare Climate Emergency & Phase Out Plan
NYers face hundreds of millions of dollars in climate costs while big oil racks up huge profits, nearly three-quarters of a trillion dollars over past 30 months
NYPIRG 50th Anniversary, Celebrating Five Decades of Victories and College Student Empowerment, Will Be Held on October 13th in NYC – Author and Activist Jane Fonda, Community Service Society's David Jones, State Senator Liz Krueger, U.S. Sen. Schumer's State Director Martin Brennan, and New Deal Strategies' Camille Rivera to Receive NYPIRG's "Changemaker" Awards
New York’s “New Normal” Not Normal at All: Frequent Climate Disasters, Staggering Costs — Governor Hochul Leaves New Yorkers on the Financial Hook for Billions of Dollars in Climate Damages and Extreme Weather Emergency Preparedness While Letting Big Oil off the Hook
NYPIRG Has Updated Its 2023 Legislative Session Review, Including the New York State Assembly Actions
With New York Budget Deficits Growing and Climate Costs Soaring, Will the Assembly Make Big Oil Pick Up the Tab? NYPIRG Urges Assembly to Pass Climate Change Superfund Act
Tale of the Tape: NYPIRG's 2023 Legislative Review – The number of bills that passed in the Senate increased, while that number decreased in the Assembly. The Governor's use of emergency "messages of necessity" continues to move upward.
Congressmen Goldman and Nadler joined with NYS legislators, NYPIRG and other advocates to call on Albany leadership to make corporate climate polluters pay
Video – Disinformation: The Fossil Fuel Industry's Campaign to Undermine New York's Climate Act
VICTORY! NYPIRG Celebrates First in the Nation Law to Electrify New Buildings
Statement: NYPIRG Reacts to Gov Hochul Leaving Climate Change Superfund Out of the Budget
As Albany Negotiates a State Budget, NYC College Students Call for Free and Reduced Price Transit Fares for Education Access
Faith Leaders, Environmentalists, Senators: New York Needs to Show The Nation How to Tackle Climate Catastrophe - Groups Urge Albany Lawmakers to Include Green Power, Big Oil Superfund in Final Budget
NYPIRG REACTS TO ONE-HOUSE BUDGET BILLS – This week, both houses released their "one house" budget bills. Now lawmakers' attention will turn to negotiating differences. Here are key policy areas where NYPIRG has advocated and for which the Governor, the Senate, and the Assembly have established budget positions.