On Friday, the New York Times published an op-ed from Emily Galvin Almanza, a former public defender and nonprofit executive, on the supposed benefits of free busing of the kind proposed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. While the Times topped the essay with a utopian thumbnail of dancing pigeons, commuters, and rainbows, Almanza’s argument itself is far short of perfect.
Almanza makes a case that is long on enthusiasm but light on evidence. As proof of free buses “easing traffic [and] promoting public safety,” she cites pilot programs in Kansas City, Boston, and New York City. All three experiments failed, leading to huge losses of funds and a worsened commuter experience.
In Kansas City, the results were especially disastrous: homeless residents remained on buses all day, and while assaults on drivers declined, assaults on passengers went up. In Boston, the city’s free buses were notoriously slow, “effectively canceling out the benefits of free fares,” according to one local transit advocacy group…