After a yearlong pilot program funded by the state Legislature, the MTA will be ending its free bus route initiative on Sunday. The program allowed New Yorkers to ride one bus route in each of the five boroughs without paying. However, as the agency reports nearly half of the city’s bus riders evade fares, it was decided to discontinue the program.
During the pilot, weekday ridership increased by up to 35% on the free routes, but MTA officials expressed concerns that the program gave the false impression that riders could skip paying on any bus. Fare evasion increased on nearby routes, but overall verbal and physical assaults against bus drivers decreased significantly on the free buses.
The Transport Workers Union Local 100 acknowledged that bus drivers felt less stress and were happier with their work when operating the free routes. State lawmakers like Queens Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who advocated for free transit service, viewed the program as a success, but funding limitations prevented an expansion to more routes.
Mamdani plans to continue fighting for free bus service in the next legislative session, pointing to the economic challenges faced by working-class New Yorkers in affording public transit. However, the MTA also faces massive funding issues, including a $16.5 billion hole in its budget due to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pause on congestion pricing. Despite the challenges, advocates are determined to find solutions to make public transportation more accessible and affordable for all New Yorkers.
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Photo credit gothamist.com
