(Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)
Sept. 2, 2020 By Allie Griffin
The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) will deploy mobile MetroCard vans to Fresh Meadows this month to make it easier for residents to buy a MetroCard in their own neighborhood.
The MTA Mobile Sales Vans will come to the Fresh Meadows Shopping Center, located at Horace Harding Expressway and 188th Street, on Monday, Sept. 14 and Monday, Sept. 28 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. each day, Assembly Member Nily Rozic announced.
The neighborhood doesn’t have a single subway or train station, which makes it difficult for residents to buy MetroCards, Rozic said. Many residents rely on buses that service the area.
“It is oftentimes difficult for residents to access MTA services,” she said. “That is why I am bringing the MetroCard Mobile Van to the neighborhood to make it more convenient for commuters to talk with a trained representative about their concerns and questions.”
New Yorkers had to begin paying for buses again on Monday after the MTA had stopped front-door loading and stopped collecting fares for about five months due to the pandemic.
“Now that the MTA has resumed collecting bus fares, Mobile Sales Vans will ease some of the challenges that come along with relying solely on buses to get around Queens,” Rozic said.
In addition, to purchasing and refilling MetroCards, customers can apply for the Reduced Fare Program at the mobile MTA vans. They can also exchange damaged reduced-fare MetroCards for a temporary replacement and report a lost or stolen reduced-fare MetroCards.
Reduced fares are available for riders who are 65 or older or riders who have qualifying disabilities. People applying for one of the half-price cards should bring a document, such as driver’s license, Medicare card or passport, to prove their age.
Those who stop by the vans must wear a face covering and maintain a safe physical distance.
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