Governor Kathy Hochul has rejected Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to make Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus rides free across New York City’s five boroughs. During the SOMOS organization’s political conference in Puerto Rico over the weekend, Hochul emphasized the importance of maintaining funding for the MTA, which relies heavily on fare revenue to operate effectively. She stated, “I cannot set forth a plan right now that takes money out of a system that relies on the fares of the buses and the subways.”
While Hochul supports making transit more affordable, she is not in favor of eliminating fares entirely. She has already invested in the MTA’s $68.4 billion capital plan for infrastructure and subway safety improvements, and she is focused on preventing fare evasion, which cost the MTA $315 million in bus fare losses in 2022.
Mamdani, who will take office on January 1, has proposed raising taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals to fund his free bus initiative. However, any tax increase would require approval from both the state Legislature and the governor. Hochul, who is running for re-election in 2026, has expressed her opposition to raising taxes…