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About NYPIRG

The New York Public Interest Research Group’s unique mission is to give students an array of extracurricular activities and opportunities to participate in important public policy discussions, through which they can learn a wide range of valuable skills, contributing to a well-rounded educational experience.

Students working with professional NYPIRG staff help lead projects and campaigns on a variety of urgent issues. This hands-on approach teaches students skills that make them more active members of their community, enhances their academic experience, and prepares them for successful entry into the workforce.

Students across the state at NYPIRG’s campus chapters, including NYPIRG’s Student Board of Directors, have made tangible contributions on the issues of civic engagement, higher education funding, consumer rights, environmental protection, mass transit, and homelessness. Since 1973, NYPIRG has provided a unique service of supplementary learning and provided countless students with an enriching and rewarding experience.

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NYPIRG is a student directed non-profit advocacy group who works on issues such as New Deal for CUNY, Fighting Climate Change, Registering Students to Vote and much more. We have opportunities for students to participate in important public policy discussions, through which they can learn a wide range of valuable skills, contributing to a well-rounded educational experience. We host lobby trips, mutual aid food, clothing, and menstrual product drives, and informational workshops on campus for students to learn more about how to be activists in their day to day lives. We have internship and volunteer opportunities for students to get involved in city and state politics. Come hang out and get active in your community!

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NYPIRG: A Community Dedicated Organization 45 Years Later

The New York Public Interest Research Group, a student organization that has had a presence on the Queens College campus since its founding in 1972, held an event on the night of Monday, Nov. 12th, celebrating its 45th anniversary. In attendance were members of NYPIRG chapters from other universities throughout the state, plus members of some other organizations. The price of admission for each of them was a donation, a non-perishable item for the soon-to-be-opening food pantry on campus.

The opening of the food pantry is a project NYPIRG is involved with in conjunction with Student Association and other organizations to aid financially disadvantaged students, and is one of a large variety of activities it participates in for that purpose. For the duration of its existence over the past few decades, it has protested, petitioned, written and otherwise worked to promote the interests of students throughout New York. A brief history of its origins, and those of PIRGs (public interest research group’s) in general, was given by Levi Castle, a member of NYPIRG’s Board of Directors, to officially kick off the event that night. “Students forming PIRGs in the early 1970s recognized that to bring about meaningful social change, there needed to be an informed, skilled and active group of people who work to make those changes happen,” he noted during his speech.

The lineup of people set to speak at the event were indicative of NYPIRG being precisely that sort of group even from its beginning, as current or former members spoke of their time with the organization. One of these was Haris Khan, the current chairman of University Student Senate and a former Board representative of NYPIRG, who took the opportunity to show appreciation for the organization’s role in CUNY and the state, and how it shaped his own growth in student activism.

“My journey in student activism, student organizing, and now representing the half-a-million students at CUNY started right here at NYPIRG,” Khan told the audience. He described his first exposure to the organization at Queensborough Community College, and the work he has done with it since that time to stop budget cuts and tuition hikes that would have affected CUNY schools. Noting his origins from a country where political dissent was unwelcome, he holds a special appreciation for the work NYPIRG does, having stated that “the ability to organize on campuses, that’s a student right, that’s a fundamental American right, that is our tradition.”

The keynote speaker of the night, Jay Hershenson, was a founder of NYPIRG, a former QC student, the previous Senior Vice Chancellor for University Relations and Secretary of the Board of Trustees for CUNY and the incoming Vice President for Communications and Marketing & Senior Advisor to the President at QC. His resume denotes him as a living testament to how closely tied to this college’s history the organization is. His words at the event recounted his memories as a student and the circumstances surrounding the beginnings of not only this PIRG but others throughout the country.

After calling for a brief moment of silence for Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics founder who had died the same day, Hershenson began to recall how he first became aware of PIRGs. While working as a delegate to the Student Association, he and its president at the time, Mark Litwak, attended a conference in Colorado that included a workshop on the subject of PIRGs. This, coupled with reading Action for a Change by Ralph Nader and Donald Ross, kindled their interest in forming their own PIRG for New York.

“We kind of liked the idea of thinking of students as citizens, active citizens, not simply in their student role, and that there were issues that students were concerned about,” Hershenson described. With a large support base from students, approval from staff at QC and from the CUNY Board of Trustees and after a 9-hour by-law meeting to set it up as a state-wide organization, NYPIRG was officially formed. In the time since then, it has managed to influence legislation such as the Freedom of Information Act and the Open Meetings Law, laws regarding the practice of redlining, which promotes discriminatory financial practices by state and private institutions against minority neighborhoods, and more.

“Whenever you think about the challenges before you, whether it’s public speaking, or trying to make change,” Hershenson said in his closing statements, “my motto is the following: fear is a choice. Preparation is a better choice. That’s what NYPIRG teaches us.”

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New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) Fund

Contact InfluenceWatch with suggested edits or tips for additional profiles.

New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) Fund is one of many public interest research groups ( PIRG s) originally founded by Ralph Nader and Donald Ross in the 1970s as a way to use left-of-center student groups as a hub for research and lobbying efforts towards policy change. 1 Many PIRGs use mandatory student fees to fund their efforts, which are in turn used to pay for professional lobbyists to push legislation for which student members advocate. 2

NYPIRG is a student-directed statewide political-advocacy nonprofit, operating largely on college campuses, whereas NYPIRG Fund is the public-outreach and education sister organization. NYPIRG Fund operates on similar issues as the student-led NYPIRG, but outside of college campuses and often more directly on public policy.

Public Bank and the Green New Deal

Efforts towards establishing a public banking system have been organized by NYPIRG Fund in cooperation with New Economy Project and the Public Bank NYC Coalition. Activists have called a government-run public bank “the one strategy that could finance the whole Green New Deal ” agenda, and it could also fund other left-wing issues such as affordable housing and “cooperatively-owned businesses.” 3

Climate Change Super Fund

NYPIRG has worked with lawmakers and progressive groups to advocate for New York’s “Climate Change Super Fund.” 4 The bill is an effort to financially punish companies for their use of conventional fuels, and then use those funds to pay for “infrastructure adaptation projects” towards weather-dependent energy sources such as solar and wind power. 5 The bill would also require companies to pay for damages from natural disasters, even past events, such as Hurricane Sandy in 2012. NYPIRG director Horner has said, “they have the money… they should pay.” 6

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

NYPIRG has opposed using carbon-free nuclear energy, writing that “nuclear plants should be replaced” by more “investing in solar and wind power” in a press release with the “Stop the Cuomo Tax” campaign. 7 Environmental Policy Director for NYPIRG celebrated the “tremendous victory” of the closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plant, stating that “nuclear was wrong forty years ago, and it is wrong today.” 8

Government Accountability

NYPIRG has sought a New York State constitutional amendment for an independent ethics commission, even after judges struck down milder efforts at a state ethics panel, for concerns that the panel was creating a fourth branch of government unaccountable to voters. 9

Working with other student organizations such as the American Medical Student Association and the American Red Cross, NYPIRG campaigns abortion issues and organizes marches to promote liberal abortion legislation. One such rally was led by Planned Parenthood Generation Action and held at Binghamton University. 10

Public Health

The organization advocates for greater spending on public health issues, such as tobacco use prevention education. In February of 2023 they released a report criticizing the city of New York for flatlined spending (based on inflation rates) towards lowering tobacco usage. 11

Higher Education

Working with New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), the New York state-level teachers union federation, NYPIRG has pushed for a “New Deal for Higher Education.” It proposed free or more affordable college tuition, billions in expanded spending for the SUNY and CUNY public university systems, expanding financial aid, and lowering interest rates for student loans. 12

Transportation

NYPIRG works on mass transit issues, such as pushing for lower fares and expanded bus routes, as well as repairs to subway lines. 13

Donald K Ross was the founding and longtime director of NYPIRG. He passed away in 2022 and was largely credited with initially proposing the public interest research group model to Ralph Nader in the 1970s. 14

• “Public Interest Research Groups (PIRGs) .”  Pollution A to Z . .  Encyclopedia.com. (November 16, 2023).  https://www.encyclopedia.com/environment/educational-magazines/public-interest-research-groups-pirgs
• “UMass Lowell Students Weigh in on MassPIRG Opt-out Fee.” The Connector, March 26, 2019. https://umlconnector.com/2019/03/umass-lowell-students-weigh-in-on-masspirg-opt-out-fee/ .
• Anzilotti, Eillie. “The one strategy that could finance the whole Green New Deal.”Fast Company, June 26, 2019.  https://www.fastcompany.com/90364616/public-banking-can-finance-the-green-new-deal
• “Help Fight Climate Change.” NYPIRG. Accessed November 27, 2023. https://www.nypirg.org/climatechange/ .
• Simões, Mariana. “New York Considers First-in-the-Nation Bill to Charge Fossil Fuel Companies for Climate Change Destruction.” City Limits, March 27, 2023. https://citylimits.org/2023/03/27/new-york-considers-first-in-the-nation-bill-to-charge-fossil-fuel-companies-for-climate-change-destruction/
• Justin, Raga. “Dems back climate bills, including ‘Superfund’ to make oil companies foot the bill.” Times Union, January 20, 2023. https://www.timesunion.com/state/article/Dems-back-climate-bills-including-Superfund-to-17727874.php
• “Emphasizing the Massive Cost of Cuomo’s Nuke Bailout to Energy Consumers, Albany Advocates Urge State Legislature to Block His Plans & Take His Own Advice on Indian Point: Close Upstate Nuke Plants Too.” https://www.nypirg.org/pubs/201701/final_media_packet_1.11.2017.pdf
• “NYPIRG Statement on the Closure of the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant.” NYPIRG, April 30, 2021. https://www.nypirg.org/pubs/202104/NYPIRG_Indian_Point_statement_4-30-2021.pdf
• DeWitt, Karen. “Judge strikes down New York state ethics panel.” WXXI News, September 11, 2023. https://www.wxxinews.org/capitol-bureau/2023-09-11/judge-strikes-down-new-york-state-ethics-panel
• Gottiparthy, Divya. “Reproductive rights advocates march BU Brain.” Pipe Dream, October 10, 2022. https://www.bupipedream.com/news/130460/reproductive-rights-advocates-march-bu-brain/
• Reisman, Nick. “Report finds New York’s anti-tobacco efforts have lagged.” Spectrum 1 News, February 28, 2023. https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/ny-state-of-politics/2023/02/27/report-finds-new-york-s-anti-tobacco-efforts-have-lagged
• “NYSUT activists rally for New Deal for Higher Education, with broad support from voters.” NYSUT Media Relations, March 9, 2023. https://www.nysut.org/news/2023/march/media-release-committee-of-100
• “Mass Transit.” NYPIRG Fund, accessed November 27, 2023. https://www.straphangers.org
• Roberts, Sam. “Donald K. Ross, Leading Public Interest Lawyer, Dies at 78.” New York Times, May 19, 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/19/us/donald-k-ross-dead.html

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Mass Transit

The NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign serves as a voice for New York City’s eight and a half million daily subway and bus riders. Since 1979, we have organized the riding public to speak up for affordable fares, more attractive service, and the continued rebuilding and expansion of public transit.

In a city like New York, mass transit defines where you live, where you play, and where you go to school. It is the “great equalizer” of opportunity and why accessible, affordable, and safe transportation is so important. When the Straphangers Campaign was founded in 1979, New York City's mass transit system had deteriorated to a point that seemed almost beyond repair. Track fires, delays, broken doors, graffiti, and buses in marked disrepair were a regular occurrence. Ridership plummeted, and businesses cited poor transit as the leading reason for moving out of New York.

So riders organized. Over the last 45 years, our organizing efforts have brought massive improvements, including billions of dollars in funds to buy new subway cars, fix stations, repair tracks, and expand the system. We also helped to win unlimited-ride MetroCards and fare discounts for low-income New Yorkers. Most recently, we won a commitment from city and state transit agencies to redesign and improve local bus service, as well as an over $15-billion-dollar investment in funding for transit infrastructure over the next decade with the implementation of congestion pricing.

Despite our many victories, our advocacy is needed now more than ever. The pandemic drove half the city off of public transportation and into personal cars amidst a climate emergency, contributing further to air pollution and street congestion. The cost of living has skyrocketed, as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) hikes fares. Our buses are still the slowest in the country, moving at an average speed of just over eight miles per hour citywide.

There is still much work to be done to ensure that all New Yorkers have access to the reliable, affordable, and safe public transportation that they deserve. Straphangers have consistently demonstrated that we can push city, state, and MTA officials to meet rider needs when we organize. It is possible for New York City to have a world class public transportation system, but New Yorkers need to see results.

Bus Turnaround Campaign

New York City’s subway system is one of the largest in the world, with 472 subway stations across the boroughs and enough rail to reach from New York City to Chicago. Yet, despite the size of New York City’s vast subway network, less than two-thirds of New Yorkers live within walking distance from a subway.

Subway and rail “deserts” particularly affect more marginalized communities, many of whom depend heavily on bus service for travel. In New York, 75% of bus riders are people of color, 12% are foreign-born, and over 15% are over the age of 65. The average salary of a New York City bus rider is $28,455, compared to that of the average subway rider, which is $40,000.

The best way for the transit gap among communities to disappear is for more frequent and effective quality bus service to exist where there are transit deserts. Building new subways or other rail is simply too slow and too costly to be the only immediate solution, or even the main solution. For instance, the first phase of the Second Avenue subway – three stations – cost over $4.5 billion and a considerable amount of time.

Connecting communities by bus service is a far more viable option. Yet, as bus riders know from bitter daily experience, bus service currently is unacceptably slow and unreliable. Prior to the pandemic, daily ridership on New York City buses was about two million trips. Relative to the population as a whole, these riders are more likely to be people with low incomes or people of color. The MTA and New York City Department of Transportation must prioritize the needs of Black and brown New Yorkers, otherwise the longstanding disparities magnified by COVID-19 will be exacerbated.

As a leading member of the New York City Bus Turnaround Campaign, the Straphangers Campaign has taken a multi-year approach to fixing the city’s long-ailing bus service. We are developing a base of riders who are willing to share their story, advocate for better bus service, and engage in a lengthy political process to win change.

Along with coalition partners, the Straphangers Campaign was instrumental in the fight to win Fair Fares, a program that provides half-priced MetroCards to low-income New Yorkers. Our advocacy in the years since has helped to win substantial funding and eligibility expansions in the New York City budget.

Still though, there are hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who are eligible for the program but are not enrolled. According to the most recent census data, roughly 900,000 New York City residents live in poverty, but only just over 320,000 low-income New Yorkers are enrolled in the program. Additionally, a recent study found that 90% of CUNY community college students use mass transit to commute to school and identified that “the challenge of affording a MetroCard came up more than any other single barrier” in college degree completion. For most New York City students, paying for mass transit is an integral part of their higher education budget, and the rising costs can result in students choosing between paying for food or textbooks and getting to class.

New York City should boost outreach programs to help eligible New Yorkers apply for the benefit, and Fair Fares should be expanded to include all current CUNY students, and to include New Yorkers at 200% of the federal poverty level.

Green Transit, Green Jobs

The NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign is proud to be a member of the ElectrifyNY coalition and work at the vital intersection of mass transit and environmental protection. According to the Climate Action Council Scoping Plan, the transportation sector is responsible for approximately 28% of New York's total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) – the second largest source of GHG emissions in the state – and private electric cars are only part of the answer to this problem.

The Green Transit, Green Jobs bill addresses this issue by mandating that transit agencies across the state begin to transition their diesel bus fleets by purchasing only zero-emission buses after 2029. Bus riders are well aware of the health hazards of living, working, and going to school in neighborhoods plagued by air pollution. Several New York communities have the highest reported rates of asthma in the country. Toxic exhaust from diesel buses compound existing air quality burdens – particularly in environmental justice communities.

New York must support riders who depend on public buses and set the state on a path to achieve the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). The bill also includes several labor provisions that will ensure that the state’s investment in creating high-quality jobs. By addressing climate pollution and prioritizing a fair and just transition, this policy is a win-win for New Yorkers on all fronts.

Congestion Pricing

NYPIRG’s Straphangers Campaign helped lead the passage of congestion pricing, a new policy to toll drivers who drive into Manhattan below 60th Street. Congestion pricing will introduce billions of dollars annually to improve public transportation and reduce air pollution from the city’s clogged streets – car traffic in New York City hit a new all-time high in late December of 2023.

To ensure that infrastructure is accessible for riders, to address regular maintenance upgrades, and prepare for more frequent and intense storms from the climate crisis, the time for investment in public transit is now. Congestion pricing revenues are key. After a lengthy review process and public comment period, the MTA announced congestion pricing’s full implementation in June 2024. For more information, please read NYPIRG’s statement on congestion pricing .

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