The MTA has decided to halt its EAGLE bus fare inspection teams amid allegations that they mistreated passengers during recent incidents which were not reported adequately—showing a lack of effectiveness in reducing fare evasion, officials noted.
This decision comes from MTA head Janno Lieber as fare evasion has escalated from 36% in 2022 to 48% in the first half of 2026, despite the teams’ presence.
A $25 million lawsuit was filed a day earlier by Kyle Taylor, a school dean from Brooklyn, who alleged he was physically mishandled by EAGLE inspectors for supposedly failing to pay the $3 fare, an encounter that was recorded on video earlier this month.
Lieber expressed concern that such instances of violence, which have drawn criticism from passenger advocacy groups, went unreported to his office. He also mentioned another harassment allegation involving MTA inspectors and a passenger on a Bronx bus that was similarly not escalated.
“I was frustrated that neither MTA leadership nor New York City Transit were informed about that incident until over a week later,” Lieber remarked. “Now it seems we have another case where the delay in reporting is even more pronounced.”
Taylor’s attorney, Benjamin Pinczewski, expressed disbelief at the MTA’s claim. “How could they not have known about it? It feels like they were trying to cover this up,” he stated.
Since 2008, EAGLE teams have been checking fares on Select Bus Service routes and expanded to local buses in 2023. Unfortunately, fare evasion on buses rose from 36% in 2022 to 43% in 2023 and reached 48% in the first half of 2026.
According to MTA data, subway fare evasion stands near 10%. The MTA has reported that the presence of EAGLE teams resulted in a 7% increase in paid boardings on buses.
The financial impact of fare evasion is significant, with an estimated loss of $568 million for the MTA in 2024, as per the Citizens Budget Commission.
A Manhattan resident named Lee, age 30, shared that he finds the teams ineffective. “They just ask if I can show my fare card, and I’m like, ‘No, I can’t,’ and I walk right past them,” he remarked, labeling the teams as “a waste of money.”
Stella Nathenson, a 19-year-old NYU student, described her feelings about the teams as “scary” and “unsettling.” She noted that many of the fare evaders she observes are older individuals. “Half the time, it’s someone with a walker or a cane,” she added, mentioning issues with malfunctioning card readers that prevented her from paying. “I’ve avoided paying a couple of times just because the card doesn’t work—which is something they really should address.”
Jaime Madrid, a 75-year-old bus rider from Manhattan, shared his negative experience where an EAGLE team mistakenly ticketed him two years ago, requiring him to contest the ticket by submitting details. “They embarrass you,” he said, recalling how they treated him like a criminal.
On a separate note, Mayor Zohran Mamdani had campaigned on a promise to make city buses free. However, admitting in April that this wouldn’t be feasible this year, he recognized that the state-controlled MTA operates largely outside his authority.
