Last month, the New York Times ran a glowing profile of Iowa City’s fare-free bus pilot program. Since eliminating fares in August 2023, the college town of 75,000 has seen ridership increase, boarding times shrink, and transportation emissions drop—all for roughly $1 million a year.
The piece lands just as Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani aims to deliver on his campaign pledge to make New York City buses free for all riders. The implication is clear: if Iowa City can do it, so can Gotham.
But Iowa City isn’t Gotham, and the former’s program shouldn’t necessarily be seen as a model for the latter. Moreover, a large body of research shows that fare-free transit often doesn’t deliver on its promises…