I don’t pay for the bus, and if you’re reading this, you probably don’t either.
My name is Jordan Mendez. I’m a 16-year-old activist from Yonkers, New York. I care about my peers.
With the addition of Chapter 643 to the existing laws of Westchester County, civil penalties will be imposed on individuals evading bus fares. The county will accomplish this feat by placing police on our buses to distribute fifty or one-hundred-dollar fines to fare evaders.
Now, there are plenty of reasons not to support this legislation. To start, our goal should be to make public transportation preferable, so that we as a county reduce our carbon footprint. This legislation disincentivizes residents’ transition from private, carbon-based transportation to public, electric transportation.
If we’re trying to support local businesses, this legislation won’t accomplish that. The money that’s being put into our transportation is money that is not being invested in Westchester’s industries. And that’s assuming people are still willing to travel to support local industries despite the fare!
People opposed to this legislation have already begun vocalizing their intentions to take their dollars elsewhere if the fare is enforced. But the most important reason to oppose this legislation is who it hurts the most: marginalized youth.
Let’s get the obvious out the way. We’re in delicate times. Families are food insecure, health care is becoming increasingly unaffordable, public school funds are being cut. Children are suffering. So why are we pouring salt on their wounds?
There is a sizeable population of youth, and more specifically, students, who rely on public transportation to make ends meet. May they be commuting to and from school, picking up siblings, going to the library, or going to their nearest grocery store, the implementation of Ken Jenkins’ proposed legislation will only make a better life for Westchester’s youth less accessible.
He claims fare evasion poses a serious threat to safety, fiscal integrity, and the long-term success of the Bee-Line system. I’m claiming Chapter 643 endangers the future of marginalized youth, abandons the fiscal responsibilities of our local government, and threatens the continued prosperity of Westchester’s industries.
He claims Chapter 643 is about accountability and not criminalization. I’m claiming this legislation will leave struggling youth as wretches with no means to pay the bills.
He claims this legislation provides a fair and proportionate response to a problem that affects all
riders. But let’s be honest. There’s nothing “fair” or “proportionate” about giving a Class A Misdemeanor to some kid coming from a $20,000 household for trying to get to school.
Amidst this political turmoil, what young people need are security, stability, and opportunity accessibility. If new federal administrations won’t provide food security through school meals, then our local government ought to facilitate families in securing themselves.
Charging kids to get to school does not do that. If families are financially unstable, our local government ought to subsidize the youth until they can stabilize themselves. Taking more money from their pockets
does not do that. If there are young people hungry to escape the trenches and do better with their lives, then the government ought to lessen the gap between the youth and their opportunities.
Instead, Ken is trying to make the distance between the youth and a better life as uncommutable
as possible.
My point here is simple: If County Executive Kenneth Jenkins seeks to “protect the integrity of the Bee-Line system while being mindful of who’s riding, and why they might not be paying,” he ought to create a legal avenue for his most vulnerable constituents to utilize this service. If the County has the money to put police on every bus, then they have the money to improve the living conditions of our youth.
If the county has a heart and wants the best for itself, it ought to give everyone 25 years of age or younger free public transportation. And that is what we are calling on our legislators to do.
Mendez and his coalition have a change.org petition at https://www.change.org/p/free-bee-line-buses-for-westchester-youth?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeaNdvhXlgfsBJ dAs4Ya587VX5wmXUlZ46VGONZA62PTWtf5r0a2TKp9CbBQ_aem_cjsU08vP-Azr_D6D-9AA-w
and an Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/freebuses4westchesteryouth/
County Executive Ken Jenkins said, “We are always proud to see young people who are civically engaged and willing to speak up about policies and laws that impact their communities. We fully support and encourage youth participation in government—it’s critical to a healthy democracy.
“That said, we welcome the opportunity to meet with these students to explain the economics of the Bee-Line Bus System and the fiscal realities the County faces. The County is currently projected to have a $25 million budget shortfall, and our current financial structure does not allow us to offer free bus service.
“Compounding our financial reality are actions by the federal government to cut programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and transportation aid. It would be fiscally irresponsible to allow the County to continue losing approximately $1 million per month due to fare evasion. However, we have also proposed legislation to decriminalize fare evasion, making it a civil matter rather than a criminal one.
“It is important to remember that the Bee-Line is already a heavily subsidized system, and the $2.75 fare is a small but essential contribution to keeping it affordable and running for everyone,” said Jenkins.
