Res 0109-2018

By Council Members Rose and Brannan Whereas, In 1997, the MTA upgraded its fare payment system by introducing the MetroCard to replace tokens; and Whereas, According to the most recent statistics released by the MTA, for the month of September 2017, MetroCards were used in 97.8 percent of fares paid; and Whereas, MetroCards offer subway and bus riders benefits including free transfers and fare discounts; and Whereas, A major benefit offered to MetroCard users is the "Balance-Protection Program", which protects MetroCard purchasers against theft or loss; and Whereas, The "Balance-Protection Program" is available only on 7-day and 30-day unlimited MetroCards purchased with a debit or credit card; and Whereas, Under this program MetroCard purchasers who used a debit or credit card can file a claim with the MTA for theft or loss of their MetroCard receive a pro-rata refund for the remaining balance; and Whereas, This valuable program is not available on pay-per-ride MetroCards; and Whereas, While the unlimited MetroCard arguably offers maximum convenience and potentially the most savings, only 51.9 percent of MetroCards purchased during September 2017 were unlimited; and Whereas, Almost half of purchasers lack this important protection offered to unlimited MetroCard users; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("MTA") to extend the "Balance-Protection Program" to pay-per-ride MetroCards. GZ LS# 1897 / Res. No. 389/2014 December 4, 2017 LS# 93