Mayor Zohran Mamdani is getting exactly what he asked for, and it looks like a nightmare for New York City. The MTA has pulled the plug on its EAGLE bus fare inspection teams, effectively making buses free for anyone who wants to ride without paying. This move by the administration has blown a disastrous hole in the agency’s finances while making the system increasingly dangerous for everyone else.
Janno Leiber, the chief of the MTA, suspended the fare-verification program last week following a string of ugly incidents, according to the New York Post. It appears this decision came under political pressure not to upset the anti-policing left. Meanwhile, NYPD officials say the cops have no plans to step in, and district attorneys have largely given up on prosecuting farebeaters. Drivers are left with no way to enforce the rules without risking their own lives.
The Cost of Free Riding
The numbers on this are staggering and they are getting worse every day. In 2024 alone, the nonpartisan Citizens Budget Commission calculates that $568 million in losses were incurred by the agency due to riders skipping bus fares. That figure was likely even higher in 2025 as enforcement vanished. This isn’t just a hit to; it threatens the very ability of the MTA to borrow money for future projects.
The agency relies on issuing bonds backed by expected fare collections to keep the lights on. As bus revenues approach zero, it seems unlikely that anyone will offer significant bids when the MTA holds its next bond auction within a few weeks. Investors also have to worry that a collapse in subway collections will be the next domino to fall. Half of all bus riders no longer pay, while subway evasion sits at a still-troubling 10 percent.
Safety Suffers When Rules Vanish
Suspension of the 350-member EAGLE force was a mistake that invites the worst antisocial behavior onto our streets. This group had previously upped collection by 7 percent in areas where they were deployed, but that progress is off the table for the foreseeable future. Without enforcement, riders face more harassment and drivers face more danger. This is the opposite of what the city needs to help the very people Mayor Mamdani claims to support.
The suspension of these teams signals a total surrender to farebeating. It creates an environment where lawlessness is rewarded and paying customers are punished. The administration seems willing to sacrifice the safety and financial health of the entire transit system just to score a political point with a specific voter base.
Who Will Pay the Price?
Ultimately, this situation rests on the shoulders of Mayor Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul. If the mayor refuses to support the NYPD in enforcing the law, the system will continue to bleed money and safety. The city cannot afford to let public transit turn into a chaotic free-for-all that drives away the paying riders who keep it running. New Yorkers deserve a system that works, not one that is run into the ground by bad policy.
This is opinion and commentary from the RapForMayor team.
