Instead of cutting free student MetroCards and reducing subway and bus service, angry commuters say the MTA should stop giving retirees, employees, and their families free rides. According to Metro, nearly 50,000 MTA NYC Transit workers received a free ride this year, as well as 15,000 retired MTA workers—a policy that Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Queens) calls "irresponsible." "They're cutting the W, which is a lifeline, while at the same time giving out perks like this."
If an additional 50,000 commuters bought $89 monthly MetroCards each month, the agency could make almost another $50 million, the paper reports. The MTA says it can't determine how much money is lost by giving out free rides, because some employees don't use public transit to get to work. The free MetroCards are awarded to workers due to a collective bargaining agreement with the transit union, and even high-ups like MTA head Jay Walder receive the freebies. An additional 52,000 NYPD officers also receive free passes, as well as 701 MTA police officers.
Mayor Bloomberg has stated that the MTA should stop giving free MetroCards to agency retirees before it stops giving them to students.
