Local pols push for “Freedom Ticket” from MTA, LIRR
Elected officials, at the end of January, called on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to initiate a pilot program for the proposed “Freedom Ticket,” a travel benefit which would allow commuters to pay a single fare for travel within New York City on MTA subways and LIRR trains.
The “Freedom Ticket” would allow riders to purchase a single one-way ticket or a weekly or monthly pass valid for travel on both the subway and railroad trains for less than the price of tickets and passes for both. The plan – building on the CityTicket pilot, which established a reduced fare on weekends within city limits on LIRR and Metro-North trains – would include trips between the Atlantic Terminal and East New York stations on the LIRR’s Atlantic Branch, including the Nostrand Avenue station.
“In Brooklyn, the ‘Freedom Ticket’ presents an opportunity to support neighborhood growth and development in East New York,” wrote Borough President Eric Adams in a letter to MTA Chair Thomas Prendergast. “We believe that the ‘Freedom Ticket’ program could be a significant asset in mitigating strain on the existing subway system while also providing residents in the East New York area an affordable option to ride the LIRR to Atlantic Terminal.”