New York, NY (April 12, 2026)
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has acknowledged that his campaign promise to make city buses free will not be implemented this year, signaling a significant delay for one of his most attention-grabbing transit pledges. In comments first reported by Politico and echoed by other outlets, Mamdani said the idea remains alive in Albany budget talks, but only in the form of a limited pilot program rather than a citywide fare-free system.
The mayor said both houses of the state Legislature included language in their one-house budget proposals supporting the return of a free-bus pilot. Official Assembly materials confirm that the chamber’s proposal includes $15 million for a fare-free bus program in New York City, with one route in each borough…