In pilot program, MTA checking for fare evasion while NYC buses are still in motion
MTA officials say they've been conducting a pilot program to combat fare evasion on New York City buses.
The program involves checking the OMNY of passengers while the bus is still in motion.
The MTA's Eagle Team issues summonses to fare evaders on buses using an onboard validation devices, or OVDs.
Those OVDs can check tap-and-ride purchases on OMNY cards. Eagle Team members are empowered to ask passengers for their proof of purchase or to check their cards aboard the bus.
As part of the pilot program, some Eagle Team members are now also issuing summonses electronically, Crichlow said.
"It's actually been going fairly well," New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said. "The team has started rolling things out."
In 2024, the MTA estimated nearly one million people boarded without paying the fare. That translates to $315 million in bus fares lost, according to the MTA.
Fare evasion on local New York City buses in the first quarter of 2026 was estimated to be at 48.2%, meaning about half of all bus riders didn't pay, according to the MTA.
New York City Mayor Mamdani has said he wants bus service to be fast and ultimately to be free. Checking for fare evaders while the bus is still in motion would help speed up bus service.
"And part of the pilot will be doing it both while the bus is in motion as well as what it takes to take people off," Crichlow said. "Our goal at the end is to be able to say here is the data tied to both sides, can we do it successfully with the bus in motion? How much time does it take with a person that's actually holding, taking the customer's identification, entering the information, and issuing the summons back? How does that affect altogether the customers that get on the bus? We do plan piloting both ways."
