Mayor Zohran Mamdani insists on making NYC buses free for all riders, but the City Council prioritizes expanding the underused Fair Fares program for low-income New Yorkers. The mayor’s plan, projected to cost $1 billion annually amid a $5.4 billion budget deficit, faces pushback from Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA over funding hurdles.

Fair Fares, which offers half-price transit fares to households earning under 150% of the federal poverty line, serves 380,000 riders despite 575,000 eligible New Yorkers. Advocates argue the program’s complex application process deters enrollment. Council Speaker Julie Menin proposed automatic enrollment and full free transit for qualifying residents, doubling the program’s $100 million annual cost.

Proposals to raise income thresholds to 250% or 300% of the poverty line—Susan Kamara, a Bronx home health aide, urged officials to “make it fair—now”—could expand eligibility to 2 million residents. Critics, including the Citizens Budget Commission, favor raising the cap to 250%, covering one in four working adults.

Mamdani’s free bus initiative aims to boost ridership on slow, unreliable routes, echoing a 2023 pilot that increased usage but not speed. Hochul’s reluctance to tax the wealthy complicates funding, while the MTA focuses on fare evasion. Advocates stress urgency: one in five New Yorkers skips meals to afford transit, with Black and Latino commuters disproportionately affected.