The MTA is experiencing a high level of fare evasion and plans to use behavioral research to understand why riders don’t pay fares. The agency aims to hire consultants to study fare evasion personas and develop interventions. This effort follows a rise in fare evasion rates, with potential losses reaching up to $800 million annually. Various tactics, including increased enforcement and security measures, have been implemented to address the issue, but the MTA is now turning to behavioral science for additional solutions.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is currently facing a significant issue with fare evasion, with an estimated 900,000 bus and subway riders evading fares daily. In response, the MTA is looking to utilize behavioral research to understand the motivations behind fare evasion and potentially change this behavior. The agency is planning to conduct a study with the help of behavioral consultants, with a projected cost of $500,000 to $1 million.
The MTA reported that fare evasion could cost the agency up to $800 million annually in the coming years. A previous report found that nonpayment on transit trips alone cost the agency close to $600 million in operating money the previous year. The MTA has a substantial operating budget of nearly $20 billion for the current year.
The study aims to develop personas of fare evaders, such as “opportunists,” “rebels,” “idealists,” “youth,” “unintentional,” and “low-income,” to understand why individuals in each group do not pay fares. The MTA plans to develop behavioral interventions based on these personas and implement pilot programs to address fare evasion.
The solicitation for the study also highlights successful methods from other regions, such as using dancing costumed zebras for traffic calming in Bolivia and posting mimes at intersections in Colombia to reduce traffic fatalities. These creative approaches to changing behavior have shown some success in other contexts.
MTA board member David Jones emphasized the need for a cultural change around fare evasion and stated that enforcement alone is not enough. He mentioned the deployment of unarmed security guards as a step that has shown some effectiveness in addressing fare evasion. Jones expressed openness to the use of behavioral research but also stressed the importance of concrete actions to combat fare evasion.
The MTA has seen an increase in fare evasion, with around 13% of subway riders and over 50% of Select Bus Service riders evading fares. This increase has been attributed to a shift in social perspective due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where not paying fares is viewed as less problematic than before.
Despite efforts to address fare evasion through penalties, physical barriers, and fare inspections, these methods have had limited success in reducing non-payment. Enforcement measures have increased, with a significant rise in arrests and summonses for fare evasion in recent years.
Jones suggested that expanding initiatives like “Fair Fares,” which offer discounted fares to low-income individuals, will be crucial in addressing fare evasion. He emphasized the need for a cultural shift where people are willing to pay their fares and take advantage of programs like Fair Fares if they are in need.
In conclusion, the MTA’s initiative to use behavioral research to understand and address fare evasion is a proactive step towards combating this significant issue. By developing tailored interventions based on different fare evader personas and implementing pilot programs, the MTA aims to change the behavior of individuals who evade fares regularly. This approach, combined with other strategies like Fair Fares and increased enforcement, could contribute to reducing fare evasion and preserving revenue for the transportation system.
Source: TheCity.NYC
