Senate committee hears renomination of MTA board member Blanca Lopez amid questions on fare evasion, congestion pricing and gate pilots

The New York State Senate Finance Committee met on April 22 to consider the renomination of MTA board member Blanca Lopez and to question her about the authority's response to fare evasion and the effects of congestion pricing.

Blanca Lopez, who identified herself as an MTA board member and nominee for reappointment, said she aims to keep the system "intuitive, continuous, far-reaching and affordable," and stressed safety for riders and staff. She told the committee the MTA's first criminal-justice-advocate position was approved in 2024 and is being filled.

Committee members broadly endorsed Lopez's record. "You're a dynamic, committed leader," said one senator who recalled two decades of local work with Lopez and credited her with projects on the Harlem Line and ADA improvements. Transportation Committee Chair Jeremy Cooney said he gave Lopez his "full support," and praised her "obvious understanding and mastery of the complex nature of the MTA." John Liu, a Finance Committee member presiding in for Chair Liz Krueger, opened and closed the session.

Lawmakers used the hearing to press for details about fare evasion and related enforcement and technology. Several senators cited large loss estimates for the system''including a figure of about $1,000,000,000 a year mentioned during questioning'and asked whether criminal penalties for repeat fare evaders would be part of the enforcement strategy. Lopez said she supports stronger penalties for recidivists and noted that the MTA and its chair have discussed pursuing legislative remedies.

The committee also discussed the MTA's use of gate technology. Lopez said pilots are under way: about 20 stations currently deploy the new fare-gate technology, with plans to expand to roughly 40 stations in 2026 and ultimately to about 150 stations systemwide, covering an estimated 70% of riders when fully implemented. She cautioned that procurement and installation take time and said some PRD work is scheduled as late as 2029.

Members questioned a cited $35,000,000 contract for private security services referenced in the hearing (identified by a committee member as Allied Gate Security Company, described as a Pennsylvania-based firm; Lopez said the workforce on those contracts is New York-based). Senators urged the MTA to clarify how funds are spent and whether investments in gates and MTA staff complement or replace organized labor roles. "We certainly don't want to see any contracting out when we have organized labor who are willing to step up," Cooney said.

Several suburban and upstate senators pressed Lopez to consider geographic spillovers from congestion pricing, asking the MTA to monitor whether drivers divert to alternate routes or suburban downtowns, and whether increased ridership on commuter lines has created parking or congestion pressures in outlying communities. Senator Roxanne Persaud urged colleagues not to frame fare evasion and congestion as only New York City problems, noting Long Island Rail Road losses and systemwide effects.

Lawmakers also raised equity and access concerns. One senator asked whether teachers, nurses and first responders receive congestion-zone exemptions; Lopez said there are no blanket exemptions that she knew of and that individual disability exemption processes currently require applicants to come to designated MTA assessment centers. Several members asked staff to explore placing assessment centers outside New York City or otherwise easing the exemption process for people who must travel for medical care.

Several senators requested follow-up data: station-level results from pilot fare gates, a regional breakdown of who is paying congestion charges, counts of cars entering the congestion zone over time, and ridership upticks since congestion pricing began.

The committee moved to formal consideration and a nomination was put before members. Senator Shelley Mayer moved to reappoint the nominee (the transcript refers to the nominee as Blanca Lopez in her testimony but also later references the name "Guadalupe" during the nomination call), and the motion was seconded by Chair Leroy Comrie. The transcript records verbal "Aye" and verbal "Nay" responses but does not include a detailed roll-call tally in the record provided.

The hearing closed with members thanking Lopez and asking staff for the follow-up materials they had requested.