New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash on social media after bus fares increased in the city on Sunday, an action that was put in place before he took office.
On September 30, 2025, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Board approved changes to fares that took effect on Sunday. The base fare for buses, subways and Access-A-Ride increased by 10 cents, from $2.90 to $3.
“Today, New York City subway and bus fares rose from $2.90 to $3. I spent the evening riding the only free bus in the city, the Q70, to hear what a fare free ride has meant for New Yorkers,” Mamdani wrote on X on Sunday.
Why It Matters
Mamdani’s campaign platform included free city bus service.
“As mayor, I’ll make every bus fast and free,” Mamdani said in a campaign video last year.
Mamdani took office on Thursday. In his inauguration speech, he said: “Getting on a bus without worrying about a fare hike or whether you’ll be late to your destination will no longer be deemed a small miracle—because we will make buses fast and free.”
Even though the fare increase was passed before Mamdani took office and rate increases are decided by the MTA Board, social media users still slammed the rise in cost and emphasized Mamdani’s campaign promise.
One X user wrote: “Mamdani promised us a free ride, but all we got is a higher fare.”
Another X user wrote: “Bus and Subway fares in NYC are jumping to $3 as of today. The good mayor promised free. Hoodwinked!”
Another X user wrote that Mamdani “has been in office for 3 days” and “the fare increase was set in September.”
What To Know
In addition to the base bus fare rising, the reduced fare increased from $1.45 to $1.50. The express bus fare increased from $7 to $7.25. The reduced fare for express buses will increase from $3.50 to $3.60.
The 2025 MTA budget, which was approved by the MTA Board in December 2024, assumed that a fare increase would occur in March 2025. The MTA delayed the increase to January 2026 “to align with the launch of full tap-and-go on subways and buses,” the MTA said on its website.
The subway and bus fare last increased in 2023, when the base fare rose from $2.75 to $2.90. Fares typically increase every two years, WABC reported.
What People Are Saying
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, on X about the fare-free Q70 bus line: “What was clear right away was the relief this one bus line gives working class New Yorkers. Imagine if every bus felt like this.”
MTA, on its website: “Fares and tolls give the MTA resources to operate a safe and reliable transportation system that New Yorkers can count on. Fare and toll changes are small and occur at regular intervals to keep up with inflation and avoid surprising customers with unpredictable or double-digit increases.”
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