How NYC Mayor-Elect Mamdani Plans to Pay for Free Buses
Zohran Mamdani campaigned on making MTA buses free, freezing rents, launching universal childcare, and raising the minimum wage to $30.
Jacki Thrapp
11/8/2025|Updated: 11/8/2025
excerpt:
Free Bus ProposalThe 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.
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.
“Without fare collection [and] with all-door boarding, trips will be faster,” Mamdani’s campaign website shared.
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.
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 New York City mayor, however, doesn’t have the authority to change taxes. Mamdani would need to convince state lawmakers to pass his plan and for Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign it into law.
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.
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https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/how-nyc-mayor-elect-mamdani-plans-to-pay-for-free-buses-5941558
