Riders Alliance

Riders Alliance A 501(c)(4) membership organization of NYC bus and subway riders organizing to win better public transit.

The Riders Alliance is a membership organization of subway and bus riders in New York, dedicated to winning better transit by organizing transit riders into a powerful political constituency. Neighborhood by neighborhood, we bring transit riders together to advocate for their own interests: with the MTA, in the media, and with the local elected officials who make important decisions about transit

funding and policies. At the Riders Alliance, bus and subway riders set the agenda–by identifying problems and campaigning for solutions.

Our canvassing team had a great afternoon at Brooklyn Library’s Party on the Plaza!! Thanks BKLYN Teens for having us an...
08/18/2026

Our canvassing team had a great afternoon at Brooklyn Library’s Party on the Plaza!! Thanks BKLYN Teens for having us and thanks to all the party-goers for sharing their creative ideas on how we can design better commutes for all 🥳

07/10/2026

iiiiiiiiiit's that time again!

at this month's MTA board meeting, we learned that the Knicks weren't the only team breaking records in June, Janno addressed the beef with Andy Byford over Penn Station, we bid a semi-fond farewell to one of the most controversial board members in recent memory, and more!

See ya next month!

07/08/2026

There is a lot in the mayor’s bus plan to celebrate, from finally launching all-door boarding across the city to building a new generation of rapid bus corridors that would move New York closer than it has ever been to true bus rapid transit.

But even beyond the infrastructure improvements it outlines, this plan has three things that make it especially significant:

☝️It focuses on what bus priority infrastructure is supposed to deliver: fast, reliable service for riders

✌️It starts from the truth that on many major corridors, bus riders are the majority of street users

🤟It represents progress on one of the hardest challenges in New York transportation: getting the City and State to work together on a shared system

Now let’s get these buses movin’! 🚌

07/08/2026

Today was a big day for bus riders! Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul stood together with member leaders from Riders Alliance to release a major new plan to speed up and improve bus service across the five boroughs.

It is a major step forward for riders, and for Riders Alliance it is also a powerful reminder that progress like this does not happen because good ideas simply appear at City Hall.

It happens because riders organize long enough, loudly enough, and strategically enough to change what elected leaders believe they owe the people who rely on buses every day.

We are so proud of our member leader Andrea who spoke at today's event about what it means to finally have leadership boldly prioritize the needs of bus riders like her.

06/25/2026

Recently, we’ve been getting a ton of comments from folks telling us that a Fair Fares expansion couldn’t happen in the city budget because the Governor is in charge of the MTA, and the MTA is a state-run entity that the Mayor has no direct control over. Yes, that’s all true! But it misses the mark on Fair Fares.

So let’s clear this up!

Fair Fares is a CITY-RUN and CITY-FUNDED program that helps low income New Yorkers with their transportation costs. The program is not included in the MTA budget or the state budget.

In fact, it’s not even part of the city’s transportation budget. Fair Fares is administered by the Human Resources Administration within the city’s Department of Social Services. And the city’s Department of Social Services is funded by….. you guessed it, the CITY!

We hope this clears up some confusion as we head into the last week of budget negotiations before the July 1 deadline. Now that you know where the money comes from, email City Hall in support of expanding its reach for more than 2.1 million New Yorkers.

06/03/2026

Alright sports fans, we’ve hit a slump. 85 people have taken the first step and visited riders.nyc/callem but only 36 have actually followed through and made the call. We get it, it can be intimidating, but trust us- it’s worth it!

Here’s some live footage we just shot of an experienced pro athlete following allllll the way through and making the call to her council member. Be like her! Call now for Fair Fares!!!!

Comment CALLEM and we’ll dm you the link. We can still get to 100 calls today! 📈🔥

06/03/2026

GOOOOOOD MORNING RIDERS!!! 🌞 Today, we’re trying to get 100 people to call their city council member in support of expanding affordable transit for more than 2.1 million New Yorkers in the city budget.

HELP US OUT! Here’s what we want:
1️⃣ automatic enrollment in Fair Fares for eligible people,
2️⃣ to expand the income threshold for half-price fares to 300% of the federal poverty level,
3️⃣ eliminate bus and subway fares for people earning up to 150% of the federal poverty level

Making the call is easy. Comment ‘100calls’ and we’ll DM you the link to get started - each call takes around 2 minutes, but could make a world of difference for 2 million of our neighbors!

Let’s make it clear that and MUST hold the line in budget negotiations with for Fair Fares!

05/20/2026

Today, we showed up at the MTA's monthly board meeting to ask that the board do everything in their power to make sure Fair Fares is expanded to help the 2.1 million New Yorkers who need it most.

The fight isn't over, riders!

Email city leaders today and demand they expand the Fair Fares eligibility threshold to 300% of the federal poverty line, provide free fares for those earning up to 150%, and start automatic enrollment in the program for eligible riders.

Together, we can win this! 🔥

05/07/2026

1 in 5 New Yorkers cannot afford the fare. And if you make minimum wage, the city says you make too much to qualify for half-price transit.

Yesterday, our members and coalition partners rallied at City Hall in support of a Fair Fares eligibility expansion to 300% of the federal poverty level, free fares for those at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, and automatic enrollment in the Fair Fares program.

Our members bravely testified in front of to share their stories about why the program so urgently needs expansion. Thank you to , and for their support as we push for affordable transit that actually works for New Yorkers who need it.

05/03/2026

Board meeting time! At April’s meeting, we got updates on the possible upcoming LIRR strike, some surveys for you to let the MTA know how you really feel about them, and more!

All the public IBX meeting dates, shuttle info in case of a LIRR strike, and surveys we mentioned are on the website mta.info

See ya next month, riders 👍

Address

150 Broadway, Suite 1005
New York, NY
10038

Telephone

+13476031413

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