In Transit newsletter: How ordinary LIRR riders are caught up in MTA's fare evasion crackdown

When taking the Long Island Rail Road into the city — if I have a few minutes to spare before my train arrives — I always try to hit up the ticket vending machine, rather than buying an electronic ticket on my phone. There are a few benefits to doing this, including not needing to worry about having enough battery life on my phone or risk being dinged with an $8 penalty if, in a rush, I fail to activate my e-ticket before boarding.

But one obvious incentive for buying a paper ticket is that if a conductor doesn’t come around you’ve got yourself an extra ticket to use for the return trip, free of charge and of guilt — even if the MTA suggests otherwise.

Although an LIRR customer would be breaking no law in such a scenario, that fare would be included among the $800 million the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says it loses each year in fare evasion.

The MTA has taken several measures in recent years to rein in fare-beating across all its agencies, ranging from deploying so-called EAGLE Team enforcement agents onto buses — where nearly half of riders don’t pay — to adding spikes to subway turnstiles (ouch). Last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul joined MTA leadership to announce plans to roll out new evasion-proof fare gates at 20 more subway stations by the end of this year.

"Every time a fare-beater steals a ride, they’re stealing money meant for our trains and our buses to keep them moving," Hochul said. "Who foots the bill for the missing revenue? The taxpayers, riders who do the right thing, riders who do pay their fair share. And that’s just wrong."

On its buses and subways, the MTA’s fare evasion crackdown efforts have targeted those going out of their way to avoid paying. But on the LIRR it’s been more about making sure the railroad collects its fare dollars even when conductors don’t. To that end, the MTA added that $8 penalty to ensure riders activate e-tickets, even if they’re never checked, and it shortened ticket validity periods from 60 days to just one to reduce the likelihood that uninspected tickets (even paper ones) are saved for future use.

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber has dubbed such behaviors "opportunistic fare evasion," ostensibly lumping in the LIRR rider whose ticket is never checked on a crowded train car with the bus rider who sneaks aboard through the back door or the subway rider who manages to overcome those turnstile spikes.

As long as they follow applicable laws, MTA officials are free to adjust their fare policies as they see fit, even if they are among the most restrictive of any commuter railroad in the U.S. But the changes do come with a price — namely, ill will among loyal customers who feel inconvenienced by the strict new policies while they routinely see willful fare beaters stow away in train car bathrooms.

LIRR riders have limited options to fight back against these perceived injustices. But they can show up at their LIRR station a few minutes early and head to that ticket vending machine.

Did you know?

If you’re traveling on the LIRR with your kids, there’s typically no need to buy a "child" ticket, which is discounted 50%. Instead, choose a "family" ticket, which allows adults to bring up to four children under the age of 18 for $1 per child each way, even during peak hours. If they’re under 5, kids ride for free.

Do you think the LIRR's ticket prices provide a good value? Let us know at transit@newsday.com.

Transportation news

• Where the MTA has already tested its new subway gates, fare evasion is down by an average of 35%, officials said.
• An LIRR passenger was shot while boarding a train in Bellport Friday morning, police said.
• Hampton Jitney is building a solar-powered microgrid that could become a regional hub for other commercial vehicles and a future fleet of battery-powered commuter buses.
• A mother of six returning home from a visit with her grandchildren died Saturday night after her vehicle overturned in Wading River, police said.
• A Brentwood driver who police said fatally struck a homeless man on Sunrise Highway in Lindenhurst and then took off pleaded not guilty to hit-and-run charges.

Travel watch

• Beginning today, the northbound Wantagh State Parkway will be closed between Exit W2 and the Northern State Parkway from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. The southbound Wantagh will be reduced to one lane between Exits W1 and W2 weekdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The changes will be in place for about two weeks for drainage work. You can find more information here.
• The Exit 31A ramp from the eastbound Northern State Parkway to the southbound Meadowbrook State Parkway will be closed between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday for highway maintenance.
• The JFK AirTrain will be suspended Tuesday through Thursday between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. for system upgrade work.
• Weekday LIRR train service between Ronkonkoma and Greenport will be replaced by buses Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. through Nov. 20 for track maintenance.
• The LIRR will run extra trains on its Oyster Bay line this weekend for Oyster Fest.
• There will be no West Hempstead LIRR service this weekend because of track maintenance.
• NJ Transit customers traveling into and out of Penn Station will experience major service disruptions over the next five weeks because of work related to the construction of the new Gateway rail tunnels across the Hudson River. More information is available here.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.