Overview

• The MTA’s revised policy permits display ads for alcoholic beverages on subways, buses and major stations including train wraps at Times Square and Grand Central Terminal.
• Under the new guidelines, alcohol ads are barred within 500 feet of schools, playgrounds and places of worship and are blocked on digital screens during weekday student commute hours.
• The agency projects the shift will generate between $7 million and $10 million annually to help plug a $20 billion budget gap.
• On July 30, dozens of protesters from community, health and faith groups gathered outside MTA headquarters to demand a full reinstatement of the 2018 ban.
• Public health experts cite strong evidence linking transit alcohol marketing to underage drinking and warn of disproportionate impacts on communities of color.