Conductors union: Planned LIRR ticket change may worsen fare evasion

The head of the LIRR conductors union said the MTA’s plan to reduce ticket validity periods to just four hours could make the problem of fare evasion worse, as some passengers forgo buying tickets altogether.

Anthony Simon, general chairman of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, also fought back against criticism from some riders that the proposed changes wouldn’t be necessary if conductors did a better job at collecting tickets.

On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority unveiled its latest fare adjustment proposal which, in addition to raising the cost of LIRR tickets by 4.4% on average, also includes plans to make electronic tickets automatically active from the moment they are purchased and expire within four hours. Currently, one-way e-tickets are valid for 60 days before a customer manually activates them.

The new four-hour validity window also will be in place for paper one-way tickets.

The MTA has said the change aims to address the persistent problem of passengers not activating e-tickets until a conductor comes around to inspect them, with the hope of getting a free ride and saving the ticket for future use. The Long Island Rail Road instructs customers to activate their e-tickets upon boarding their train.

If the plan is approved by the MTA Board, beginning in January, passengers who wait to activate their e-tickets until a conductor comes around could automatically be hit with an onboard ticket sale surcharge that varies based on trip, but will increase by $2.

Jessica Lazarus, MTA deputy chief of commercial ventures, said the policy changes aim to make better use of conductors, who she said spend "more than 20,000 hours each year reminding customers to activate one-way mobile tickets."

"The changes we’re proposing for tickets are designed to recapture those hours that can be better put to use for fare collection and train safety operations," Lazarus said.

But Simon said the conductors union was never consulted on the proposed changes, which he called "very troubling" and comes as the LIRR, working with MTA Police, have made strides in recent years in reducing fare disputes between train crews and passengers.

MTA officials would not respond to Simon's criticism, but have said they gathered input from conductors when crafting a 2023 report on fare evasion that was used as the blueprint for the new policy.

Simon said giving riders just four hours to use their tickets is "not good business" because it takes away "the ability for a rider to change plans and retain ticket value."

"This timeout provision will now possibly prevent riders from buying tickets at all prior to boarding," Simon said in a statement. "It can easily lead to increased fare evasion and no doubt bring back headaches and safety risk on the trains for our conductors."

Asked by a reporter on Wednesday about the possibility that the policy change could lead some riders, who previously waited until a conductor came around activate their e-ticket, to instead wait until a conductor comes around to buy their e-ticket, MTA chairman Janno Lieber said he didn’t expect the changes "will impact ... people’s behavior dramatically."

"I don’t think there are a massive number of people who are absolutely determined fare evaders," Lieber said, noting the LIRR collects about 97% of all fares.

At Wednesday's MTA Board meeting, where the proposed changes were outlined, Christopher Leathers, the LIRR's labor representative on the board, said he believed the changes "will assist" conductors in doing their jobs. But he expressed concern that riders' dissatisfaction with the new policy will be "taken out on our employees."

MTA officials have said they'll do extensive public outreach to let riders know about the forthcoming changes, and conductors will have the support of MTA Police in enforcing the new policies. 

"The changes are intended to assist conductors with their work collecting tickets, and we expect that will be the result," MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said.

On social media and in messages to Newsday, several LIRR riders complained the new policy aims to punish riders for ticket collectors’ failure to do their jobs.

In an email to Newsday, LIRR rider Michael Cavalluzzo said riders should be able to "save (unchecked tickets) for later if we so choose."

"It’s not us patrons' fault that a ticket taker doesn’t scan a ... ticket," Cavalluzzo wrote. "The MTA still wants to raise prices because of their lack of efficiency? That is preposterous."

In another email, John Lewis, of Babylon, said conductors scan his e-ticket "maybe one in ten trips." He said believes it’s relatively few passengers who are "trying to genuinely get out of paying."

Blaming train crews for the proposed ticket policy changes is "insulting, to say the least," said Simon, who noted the railroad's roster of about 1,300 conductors hasn't changed much in recent years, even as the LIRR opened Grand Central Madison, significantly increased service levels and seen ridership climb rapidly, now approaching 90% of pre-COVID levels.

Hiring additional conductors would help, but "putting the burden solely on train crews is unrealistic," Simon said.

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.