MTA Board Agrees to Increase Subway Littering Fine to $100
The MTA Board Wednesday passed a proposal to double the fine for littering in the subway system, raising the penalty to $100. The increase was proposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as a part of his Keep It Clean Initiative, which aims to make customers aware of the impact of debris on train dependability and public safety.
The approval is one component of the campaign, which includes the release of a video and an effort to ramp up water and trash removal on the tracks between stations.
Trash and debris can block and clog drains, allowing water to accumulate and corrode the tracks. Litter can also cause track fires, which Cuomo says account for two-thirds of all subway delays.
Only one board member, David Jones, voted against the increase in littering fines. Jones said his opposition stemmed from his concern about fare-evasion arrests, which he says are disproportionally enforced in minority communities. He’s concerned that a similar pattern of enforcement will be seen with littering fines. “I’m worried now that we’re going to hit the poorest communities again, for littering, while people on the new 2nd Avenue subway never get fined.”
“We’re doing no particular service to the city of New York,” said Jones. “We’re not clearing the problem, and we’re further criminalizing poverty.”
Jones also noted that after the increase, the fine for littering would be equal to the fine for carrying an explosive onto the subway. The $100 fines are the highest allowable by New York City law. The Board decided to revisit the fine amounts for all penalties in future meetings.
