MTA Suspends Bus Fare Enforcement Teams Amid Misconduct Allegations and Rising Fare Evasion

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is suspending its EAGLE bus fare enforcement teams in response to allegations of passenger misconduct and a failure to effectively reduce fare evasion. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber announced the suspension Thursday, citing disturbing incidents where passengers were allegedly mistreated by inspectors, with some instances not being reported to higher authorities in a timely manner.

One prominent case involves a $25 million lawsuit filed by Kyle Taylor, a Brooklyn school dean, who was reportedly roughed up by EAGLE inspectors over a disputed $3 fare. Video of the encounter surfaced earlier this month. Lieber stated that this incident, along with another harassment complaint aboard a Bronx bus, were not initially reported through the proper channels.

"I was not happy that leadership of the MTA and even New York City Transit didn’t even hear about that episode until more than a week afterwards," Lieber said. "It now appears that there is another episode where that failure to timely report is even more extreme."

Taylor's attorney, Benjamin Pinczewski, expressed skepticism about the MTA's claims of unawareness, suggesting a potential cover-up. "How could they not have know about it? The MTA tried to cover this up," he told The Post.

Lieber has tasked MTA security chief Michael Kemper with a comprehensive review of the EAGLE program, including inspector training and reporting procedures for the approximately 350-person team. He also urged riders to adhere to fare payment rules.

Despite the presence of EAGLE teams, fare evasion on buses has increased. Data shows evasion rose from 36% in 2022 to 43% in 2023, reaching 48% in the first half of 2026. This is in contrast to subway fare evasion, which remains around 10%. The MTA has previously stated that paid boardings on buses increased by 7% when EAGLE teams were present. However, the Citizens Budget Commission estimated that bus rider fare evasion cost the MTA approximately $568 million in 2024.

Some riders have voiced dissatisfaction with the EAGLE teams, describing them as ineffective and intimidating. One rider, who wished to remain anonymous, called the teams a "waste of money." Another, Stella Nathenson, 19, an NYU student, found the teams "scary" and "unsettling." Jaime Madrid, 75, recounted an incident from two years ago where he was wrongly ticketed by an EAGLE team, describing the experience as "embarrassing" and feeling as though he was "pulled out like a criminal."

Broken fare card readers have also been cited as a reason for non-payment by some passengers. The suspension of the EAGLE teams comes as the city and state continue to grapple with fare evasion issues across the transit system.