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Jacki Thrapp
(Epoch Times) New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani promised during his campaign that he would make public buses free for New Yorkers as part of a wide-ranging list of ambitious goals, which included freezing rents, creating no-cost child care, and raising the minimum wage to $30 by 2030.
The democratic socialist, who turned 34 years old last month, beat former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa in the general election on Nov. 4. The closely-watched mayoral race was one of a series of wins by the Democrats on election day.
The Uganda-born politician, who was raised in New York City, has announced an all-female team to help him transition into his new office while preparing to advance policies that will affect the millions of residents he was elected to serve.
Free Bus Proposal
The New York state Assemblyman is pushing to have fast and free buses in New York City with a plan that will permanently eliminate fares across the board and provide resources that he hopes will speed up commutes.
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The mayor-elect wants to add even more priority lanes for buses, expand bus jump signals, and have dedicated loading zones to prevent drivers from double-parking on the street.
Mamdani said the plan will save riders 12 percent of the time of an average bus trip because there won’t be payment or boarding delays, citing economist Charles Komanoff.
Mamdani’s office did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for a proposal to review or comments on when his plan would take effect.
Who Would Pay for This?
Mamdani, who lives in a one-bedroom, rent-stabilized apartment in Queens, wants to raise taxes on the “wealthiest New Yorkers” by moving New York’s top corporate tax rate from 7.25 percent to 11.5 percent.
New York Mayor-Elect Mamdani and Rise of Democratic Socialism: Analysis
The mayor-elect, who once attempted to be a rapper, said this tax increase alone will raise $5 billion extra per year.
He separately plans to increase taxes for anyone who makes more than $1 million.
“The top 1% in NYC make over $1 million a year but are taxed at essentially the same rate as everyday New Yorkers—3.9%. We’ll push to levy a new 2% tax on all incomes over $1 million,” Mamdami’s campaign said.
Mandami said this would raise $4 billion annually.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has struggled with cash flow in recent years as it deals with fare evasion and inflation.
Estimated operating costs for the MTA’s bus system—not including costs from the subway—are expected to be $704.7 million in 2025, according to the transit authority’s financial plan through 2028.
It reported being $44.5 billion in debt in 2024. That outstanding debt is expected to nearly double by 2034, according to the Office of the New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.
Its next fare hike begins in January 2026 and will raise the base fare for subways, local buses, and Access-A-Ride trips from $2.90 to $3.
Does Hochul Support Raising Taxes?
Before election night, Hochul told the “Raging Moderates” podcast that she does not want to increase taxes.
“I cannot make up for that with middle-class tax increases,” Hochul said during the podcast. “I cannot do that to the middle class and the struggling New Yorkers.”
Hochul’s team did not respond to questions asking if her stance has changed since Mamdani was elected.
How Did the Free Bus Pilot Program Work?
The MTA has tested a free bus program in the past on a much smaller scale.
Bus fares were suspended during the pandemic in 2020, and the MTA ran a pilot program that made select routes free between Sept. 24, 2023, and Sept. 1, 2024.
It found that service performance had “mixed results” and the free routes resulted in a loss of millions of dollars.
Do MTA Workers Support This?
The MTA did not confirm to The Epoch Times on Nov. 6 whether talks to make buses free have started.
However, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber confirmed that the agency is willing to work with the incoming administration.
“There was a lot of thoughtful discussion during the campaign about the importance of mass transit, and we look forward to working closely with Mayor-elect Mamdani and his administration,” Lieber said in a statement to The Epoch Times.
The Epoch Times reached out to the Transport Workers Union, which represents 41,000 MTA workers in New York City, for comment. The union declined to endorse a candidate in the New York City mayoral race.
Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment.
He is a complete idiot. Does he plan to tax himself????? He is not an “everyday working man.” Plus, if he tries to do what he says, companies and millionaires will be leaving NYC in droves. Does he really think they will all stay and endure his nonsense. The guy’s gotta go.
Jane: The problem is that there was a low turnout rate for voters percentage wise (noted in another article) if you take the population growth since the last election – If a majority of voters came out and voted we might have had different results.