MTA Doubles Down on a Failed Strategy — “Pay Before Boarding” Brings Creation of the Ever Expanding EAGLE Team
It is astonishing how badly the Transit Authority is being run.
Several years ago, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority implemented pay-before-boarding for Select Bus Service (SBS). Riders were required to pay at machines on the sidewalk and then board through the rear doors. The stated goal was to speed up service and improve efficiency.
Initially, fare compliance improved.
But as time went on, fare evasion increased. So what did the MTA do? Instead of reassessing or correcting the program, they doubled down. They created and expanded the Evasion And Graffiti Lawlessness Eradication (EAGLE) Team — hiring retired police officers as Special Inspectors to enforce fares.
Then they expanded SBS citywide. More routes. More boroughs. More enforcement.
As the program expanded, fare evasion worsened — and the EAGLE unit grew with it.
Today, the EAGLE Team reportedly consists of more than 240 Special Inspectors, along with Vice Presidents and administrative titles layered on top. The estimated annual budget for this unit is now approximately $33 million per year.
Let that sink in.
Instead of fixing a flawed program, the MTA expanded it. When it struggled, they created a costly enforcement bureaucracy to manage the consequences. Now taxpayers are footing a $33 million annual bill to police a system that management insists is working.
This is the definition of scandalously poor management.
It is easy to spend money when it is not yours — when it belongs to the public.
Transit Supervisors Organization/TWU Local 106 has filed a FOIL request seeking full transparency on the staffing, salaries, operational scope, and budget allocations associated with this unit. We will be pursuing this matter at the State level and demanding accountability.
This situation may not be surprising given the pattern we have seen — but it is deeply disturbing.
The riding public and the workforce deserve better stewardship of public funds.
