Zohran Mamdani's policy agenda for New York City includes various proposals, notably the elimination of bus fares. While fare-free transit has been successfully implemented in cities like Tallinn, Estonia, and Kansas City, Missouri, cautionary lessons from previous implementations exist. Advantages of fare-free transit include increased ridership and reduced assaults on operators. However, much of the ridership increase may only reflect prior transit users taking additional trips rather than attracting new users. Moreover, the financial implications for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority are substantial, necessitating careful consideration of priorities.
Eliminating bus fares is not a novel idea. It's been tried abroad and in the States: Tallinn, Estonia, stopped charging residents to ride public transportation in 2013, as did Kansas City, Missouri, in 2019.
Without question, there are advantages to letting passengers board for free. Total ridership typically rises when no one has to pay.
Because many bus passengers have low incomes, eliminating fares is fiscally progressive, disproportionately benefiting the less wealthy.
In most cities, the bump in ridership has almost entirely consisted of prior transit users who take more trips, along with people shifting to the bus from walking or biking.
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