LIRR IOUs to non-paying riders drop by half as fare evasion crackdown continues

Long Island Rail Road conductors issued half the number of IOU invoices to riders who didn't pay their fares compared with last year, continuing the steep drop since the railroad began ejecting nonpayers who don't show valid identification, LIRR figures show.

Still, the LIRR only recovered a small portion of the nearly $900,000 in unpaid fares it was owed, according to figures Newsday obtained through a public records request.

Last year, the railroad billed about 61,927 passengers who did not buy tickets — a reduction of 57% from 2024, when the LIRR handed out about 144,404 "commitment to pay" invoices. The drop continued into the first two months of this year, when LIRR conductors issued 6,882 invoices, down 39% from the same period last year, and 78% fewer than in the first two months of 2024. 

In June 2024, the LIRR toughened its policy of giving IOUs to all riders who had not paid their fares, including those who claimed not to have identification — and could have been giving conductors fake information. Under the current policy, only those who have  valid identification get an invoice, with instructions on how to mail payments. Those who don't provide  identification and don't pay are supposed to be ejected by Metropolitan Transportation Authority police and face a range of penalties, including possible fines and arrest.

"We have established an incredibly effective, reliable system of [conductors] calling ahead to get MTA police, so they don't have to engage in a fare dispute," Janno Lieber, chairman and CEO of the MTA — the LIRR's parent organization — said at a Locust Manor news conference Thursday.

MTA Police Chief Thomas Taffe said they've seen a drop in fare evasion summonses, from 2,335 in 2024 to 2,236 last year, due to fewer calls from conductors about riders refusing to pay fares.

"Our fare evasion calls on the railroad, even with more riders, is actually going down," Taffe said at an MTA Board railroad committee meeting in April, noting they're issuing more summonses for quality-of-life issues.

But some riders question if the updated figures tell the full story of fare-beating on the LIRR.

Michael Hawxhurst, who commutes on the LIRR from Lynbrook three days a week, said he regularly observes fare disputes between riders and train crew members, but rarely sees conductors issuing invoices or police getting involved. Typically, conductors "just walk away," he said.

"I think those numbers are probably a lot lower than they should be," said Hawxhurst, 59, an accountant and deputy mayor of Lynbrook. "Without stricter enforcement, it's never going to change."

Hawxhurst said the MTA’s ineffective enforcement of fare evasion leaves ticket-buying riders feeling like "suckers," especially when the transit authority raises rates or suggests it can’t afford to pay workers raises.

While the LIRR’s fare evasion figures appear to have improved dramatically, the vast majority of unpaid fares are still going uncollected, even after the railroad began requiring identification to be issued an invoice. Of the approximately 62,000 invoices issued to riders for unpaid fares last year, as of Feb. 28, the LIRR had collected fewer than 7,300, or around 12%. That’s up from a recovery rate of 7% the previous year.

Last year’s invoices totaled is $867,359 in unpaid fares, of which the railroad has recovered $98,799. Riders were billed last year for fare amounts ranging from 25 cents to $36, LIRR figures show.

The railroad's policy, according to a 2019 state comptroller audit, gives customers 14 days to return payment before accruing penalties. After 60 days, riders with six or more offenses can have their cases sent to a collection agency.

LIRR president Rob Free said the railroad's rate for outstanding fares has improved by 140% since 2024, in part because of efforts to speed up how quickly collection agencies get information about delinquent riders. 

"Our first priority was to reduce the number of these IOUs that were issued, so it's not as important to collect the revenue, per se, when you're issuing less of them," Free said.

In a 2023 report, the MTA estimated it loses about $700 million annually in fare evasion, including about $24 million at the Long Island Rail Road. Although that figure included fares incorrectly calculated by conductors, "about 6% of passengers are not paying at all," according to the report, including those who don't return invoices.

In addition to the overhauled policy on riders who don't buy tickets, the railroad has enacted other changes aimed at curbing fare evasion, including checking tickets for some trains at Penn Station before customers board, charging $8 penalties for riders who don’t activate electronic tickets before boarding, and reducing the validity period of one-way tickets from the previous 60 days to just one day — ensuring that riders whose tickets are not checked by a conductor can’t save them for a future trip.

LIRR officials did not offer an updated estimate for the amount of money lost on unpaid fares annually, but Free said conductors are collecting about 97% of fares. Lieber, talking to state lawmakers at an Albany budget hearing in February, said the combined efforts have reduced fare evasion on the railroad "dramatically."

Lisa Daglian, executive director of the MTA Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, which includes the LIRR Commuter Council, said the railroad’s reformed approach to dealing with fare beaters is "very encouraging," especially given the difficulties of changing the "legacy" system of sending fare beaters home with a bill.

"There has to be a way to phase out this tremendous loss of money," said Daglian, who was part of an expert panel that studied fare evasion and, in 2023, offered recommendations to the MTA on addressing the problem. "This is not something that I think is a standard in other railroads."

While working to cut down on fare evasion, Daglian said the LIRR must prioritize the safety of conductors involved in fare disputes with passengers, while also being sure to not treat riders who can’t afford LIRR tickets as criminals.

"But it is a service that's not for free," Daglian said. "So let's find a way to ensure that people can get where they're going, and still be able to pay."