The MTA is considering a ban on political or opinion ads, which bring in less revenue and create costly legal issues, The Post has learned.
A Manhattan federal judge ruled Tuesday that the authority can’t block a political activist from running ads on city buses that read “Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah.”
The group American Freedom Defense Initiative paid the MTA $100,000 last year to plaster six of its controversial ads in the subway and on buses. The MTA rejected one, but the federal judge ultimately ruled that New Yorkers would not be incited to violence by the ad.
Officials are now considering getting rid of political and opinion ads altogether, sources said. The MTA board will discuss the issue next Wednesday, and a vote is expected.
The ads don’t bring in significant revenue to the MTA — about $1 million annually — and the court battles are a significant financial drain.
The AFDI, for instance, is seeking $100,000 from the MTA in legal fees in the most recent case.
Sources said that when the MTA runs opinion ads, it can’t discriminate against one side or another but it can ban all such ads.
Controversial ads trigger significant backlash from riders, who complain to the agency, officials added.