My high school — just like every public high school in New York City — provided every student with a free MetroCard to get to and from school. However, NYU offers no comparable support for transportation. The university prides itself on being deeply integrated in the concrete jungle of the city, encouraging students to explore, engage and take advantage of the vast opportunities New York has to offer. Yet, students are forced to shoulder the high cost of public transportation. NYU should provide its students with free MetroCards and Citi Bike memberships to help alleviate the financial burden of commuting, thereby allowing students to fully access the city’s resources.

A good majority of NYU’s student population — 94% — regularly uses mass transit, with subway rides making up 41% of commutes. In the last 15 years, bike use has increased 627% among the NYU community, credited mostly to Citi Bikes being introduced to New York City. While these numbers are great in terms of sustainability, the financial burden of transportation is significant. A monthly unlimited MetroCard currently costs $132, for a total of nearly $1,200 a year for those who commute daily. Meanwhile, a Citi Bike membership is another $219.99 annually. For students already facing the rising costs of tuition and housing in one of the most expensive cities in the world, these transportation costs are adding another layer of financial burden. 

With recent increases in subway and bus fares, this can be detrimental for much of the student body. Twenty-nine percent of first-year students received need-based aid for fall 2022, which means that transportation costs could consume a significant portion of their already stretched budgets. It’s not just low-income students who are struggling. Many middle-class families are paying close to $80,000 a year for tuition and housing, so the additional costs of transportation present a sizable and unwelcome financial burden for these families. For commuter students — who make up a significant portion of NYU’s population — the burden is especially heavy. Many commute to save on the exorbitant costs of living in dorms, but their reliance on public transit to get to campus quickly adds up.

Transportation access is more than just getting to class. NYU provides students with countless opportunities to intern, work and engage in off-campus learning experiences. However, for students who cannot afford to frequently commute, these opportunities are less accessible. If transportation costs limit students from utilizing the university-provided resources around the city, NYU is failing to provide the full scope of the education it promises. 

With a $5.9 billion endowment, NYU has the resources and the opportunity to ease the financial concerns of some of its students. While the idea of covering the roughly $6.7 million it would cost to provide an unlimited MetroCard to every undergraduate student at NYU — around 51,000 students at $132 a card. The reality is that the university doesn’t even need to go that far. While the use of public transportation proves to be a consistent burden for many students, NYU can focus its solution on students who bear that weight the most. This is an issue whose solution should be focused on low and middle-income students that are particularly inconvenienced by the accumulated cost of transportation.

In addition to easing financial burdens, providing free MetroCards and Citi Bike memberships promotes sustainability, aligning with NYU’s stated environmental goals. NYU’s Office of Sustainability has taken several steps to reduce its carbon footprint, from implementing energy-efficient buildings to promoting recycling and waste reduction programs. However, it is also a vital part of sustainability to make environmentally friendly options affordable and accessible. Offering free MetroCards and Citi Bike memberships would encourage more financially stressed students who would normally opt for riding in cars to explore public transportation, reducing traffic congestion and emissions.

The benefits of such a program are clear: Free MetroCards and Citi Bike memberships ease the financial burden that many students face, promote a greener campus and ensure that all students have the same opportunities to take full advantage of the city’s resources. The solution is not only possible but crucial for a university that tells its students that “the city is your campus.”

Contact Steven Wang at [email protected].