MTA to take action on alcohol ads by October
No more alcohol ads on buses, trains or subways? This might be the future on New York city transit, as the MTA takes a hard look at banning liquor ads, which netted the agency $7.5 million in revenue in 2014.
MTA Board Chair Joe Lhota said at the Sept. 27 board meeting that the MTA has been divided on giving up ad revenue, facing pressure from advocates, youth programs and recovery groups.
“I know how detrimental these ads are to my community. They add to the existing issues we have with substance abuse, especially among youth that use the MTA at least five times a week,” said Kiley Cortez, who lives in the South Bronx and is a member of Building Alcohol Ad-Free Transit (BAAFT), a partnership of faith leaders, health experts and youth groups lobbying the MTA to ban alcohol ads. BAAFT has so far gathered 1,038 signatures on an online petition supporting its cause.
Alcohol advertising is a health equity issue, said Jazmin Rivera of the Tackling Youth Substance Abuse Coalition, a Staten Island-based group of nonprofits, government agencies and parents.
“Lower income populations are targeted by these ads,” Rivera said, since public transit is most often used by those who cannot afford a car. “These are the most vulnerable and marginalized members of our population.”
Board member Lawrence Schwartz proposed that action be taken on alcohol advertising at the October board meeting. In the interim, he said, the MTA would not approve additional advertising for alcohol-related products.
Board member Veronica Vanterpool made a motion to ban alcohol ads at the Sept. 27 meeting. She agreed to postpone the issue, and the board voted to consider it at its October meeting. Lhota said the additional time would allow the board to consider what other cities have done and to gather more information about the issue.
In other MTA business, the board approved a $100 fine for littering on the subway. The increase, double the previous fine, came from a proposal by Gov. Andrew Cuomo. It has raised concerns, however, that the fine may disproportionately target the poor.
Board member David Jones said he would vote no on the proposal, because the increase would make the fine for littering the same as for carrying explosives on the subway.
“This is an outgrowth of my concern over fare evasion arrest,” Jones said. “I’m worried now that we’re going to hit the poorest communities again for littering.”
Board member Polly Trottenberg said the littering fine would not be a criminal offense but rather a violation of Transit Adjudication Bureau (TAB). She said that the $100 fine is the same for fare evasion and carrying weapons or explosives because that is maximum set by state law.
Board Member Carl Weisbrod suggested that the MTA should petition the state to remove the $100 fee cap. This would allow the MTA to set fines proportionally to the severity of the crime.
Board member Charles Moerdler agreed that the MTA board should work with Legislature to revise the fee schedules, but added that littering remains a serious problem in the subway.
