Coronavirus News: Brooklyn borough president calls for free MTA fares for essential workers
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The Brooklyn borough president and a member of the city council are calling for free subway and bus fares for essential workers in the city.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez, chair of the Committee on Transportation, held a press conference outside the Jay Street-MetroTech subway station in Downtown Brooklyn on Monday morning.
They say essential workers should receive free fares for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic.
MTA data shows that ridership has plummeted, but Adams and Rodriguez pointed out that 70% of essential workers are people of color, and they are in many cases continuing to rely on mass transit.
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