“Increased access to opportunity is coming to riders along five bus routes, thanks to Governor Hochul and the elected officials, including Senator Gianaris, Assemblymember Mamdani, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Heastie, Senator Comrie, and Assemblymember Zebrowski, who fought— and continue to fight— so hard to improve equitable transit service in the city and included funding for this pilot program in the budget.
“The fare free buses on these five routes will allow more New Yorkers to get to work, school and appointments without having to consider whether they can afford the cost. The timing is right too, as fare increases will be voted on on Wednesday and congestion pricing moves into its next phase.
“Getting people where they need to go aboard these buses, the engines of equity, will help countless riders be able to access all the city has to offer. The MTA has done yeoman’s work to identify routes that met the criteria of the legislation and now has the opportunity to study how fare free buses work in our complicated city, including all-door boarding and its effects on performance and bus speeds. At the same time, it’s important to remind riders across the rest of the system of the need to pay the fare, including on other bus lines, with strong signage and messaging.”