NYC budget hawks say subway discounts for the poor are better than free buses for all

New Yorkers are eligible for a Fair Fares discount if their household makes no more than 150% of the federal poverty line — or $22,600 a year for a single person. The CBC argued that raising the threshold to 250% of the poverty line, or $39,900 for a one-person household, would do more to help the poor than making the buses free. The nonprofit estimated increasing the income limit would cost taxpayers $232 million a year, up from the $86 million the program currently spends annually.