MTA Coalition

Students are choosing between a meal and a metro-card...in one of the wealthiest cities in the world this should not be happening. What is Roosevelt doing about it?

This summer, our e-board members Nina Medernach and Olivia Brady, are embarking on a research fellowship at the Roosevelt Institute National Office to write policy for reduced-fare metro-cards for all CUNY students. The average cost of transportation for a CUNY student is $1,088 per academic year. That's equivalent to nearly 1/4 of the total cost of tuition for one year of undergraduate studies at a CUNY college. The high cost of public transportation creates an unnecessary barrier to accessing education. The CUNY system could not function without equitable access to NYC's public transportation system--nearly all of their students are commuters. Introducing reduced-fare metro-cards to CUNY students would allow students to spend more time worrying about their studies, and not stressing over whether or not they can actually afford to get to class or work.

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