COVID-19 update: Defunding Fair Fares ‘sets us back,’ says Feinberg

July 1, 2020 Editorial Staff

New York City Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg. Photo: Frank Franklin II/AP

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On the front lines of the war on COVID-19, there are many civilian heroes going out of their way, as volunteers and contributors. Also, many who are elected to serve are going the extra mile. In this column the Eagle hopes to give our readers an ongoing update on those fighting in the front lines.

New York City Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg is speaking up for commuters affected by the city’s decision to defund the Fair Fares program, which helps low-income New Yorkers afford subway and bus fares. “The Mayor’s decision to slash the Fair Fares program will make it more difficult for tens of thousands of customers who rely on mass transit to afford to get to jobs, school and work as New York continues to reopen,” Feinberg said. “At a time when the MTA is hemorrhaging money at record levels due to the COVID-19 crisis, this cut sets us back and will further hurt our ability to provide critical services to New Yorkers.”

Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Lorelei Salas on Wednesday reminded New Yorkers that there are two weeks left to file taxes before the July 15 deadline, and encouraged eligible New Yorkers to file for free with NYC Free Tax Prep virtual services. “With Tax Day quickly approaching, we encourage all eligible New Yorkers to use our services to file their taxes safely and for free,” said Salas. “This free support is especially important now with many New Yorkers experiencing significant financial hardships due to COVID-19 who need to stretch every dollar to take care of themselves and their families.”

A team of incoming undergraduate students at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering are designing contactless controls for elevators. The design would use dual tone multi-frequency to allow elevator passengers to use their phones to enter their intended floors. The project is part of the Tandon Made Challenge, which encourages students to use their technology, design and engineering skills to help fight the spread of the coronavirus.

The Legal Aid Society is commending bill sponsors State Sen. Brad Hoylman and Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz for their advocacy on the part of the NYS Tenant Safe Harbor Act, which prohibits evictions amid COVID-19 pandemic-induced financial hardship, and was recently enacted into law. “Our clients and all low-income New Yorkers who were at the brink of losing their homes and facing homelessness will now have more time to recover and get back on their feet after experiencing the economic disaster brought on by the coronavirus outbreak,” the Society wrote.