New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani may have to pump the brakes on his idea to make buses free in the Big Apple.
Speaking to reporters during a news conference on Nov. 8, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she “cannot set forth a plan right now that takes money out of a system that relies on the fares of the buses and the subways.”
But Hochul left open another possibility.
“Can we find a path to make it more affordable for people who need help? Of course, we can,” she said.
Hochul spoke on the last day of an annual conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, during which leaders and officials from both New York and Puerto Rico meet to strengthen ties and bolster the Latino community.
Here’s what to know.
Then-New York Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani steps off the M57 bus on his way to a press conference on Oct. 8, 2025 in New York City. Mamdani was joined by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Comptroller Brad Lander, Transit Workers United President John Samuelson and Mobilization Coordinator, Communications Workers of America Local 1180 Helen Jarrett after riding the M57, the slowest bus in NYC, to speak about the need for his campaign promise of fast and free bus service.
What is Zohran Mamdani’s plan for free buses?
During the race for mayor, Mamdani made much of providing “fast and free” buses for the city. On Oct. 8, he even touted the idea by taking a local bus to a news conference about the proposal. As if to prove Mamdani’s point that the service needs improvement, the bus was 25 minutes late.
Mamdani told multiple media outlets that New York City has “the slowest buses in the country.” He said it doesn’t have to be that way.
“Eight miles an hour,” he told NBC New York as he rode the bus with a reporter and videographer who captured the scene. “We could have this interview walking alongside it and still get there before the bus.”
The solution? He said buses should be free so people don’t have to stand in line and so they could use every bus entrance at each stop.
When one local woman questioned the practicality of the plan and pointed out that buses would be even slower if they were free because more people would be riding them, Mamdani was quick to answer.
“You can’t just be making it free alone,” he said. “You have to making it free while actually making the infrastructure for it to be fast. So you have to increase service alongside making it free and ensure there’s full use of all-door boarding because a lot of the issues of the dwell time at the bus stops is because everyone has to go through the front door.”
When a reporter pointed out to Mamdani that making buses free would be the purview of the Metro Transit Agency, he pointed to former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who was responsible for building a subway station. “The city has a lot of ability to influence what the MTA does, it’s just that we haven’t had a mayor who actually cares that much about the slowest buses in the United States,” he told NBC New York.
Zohran Mamdani waves next to his mother Mira Nair onstage after winning the 2025 New York City Mayoral race, at an election night rally in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
How much would free buses cost New York City?
Mamdani’s campaign estimated the cost of making the bus system free to be about $800 million a year, telling CBS News that the city could cover the cost of the free fares by raising the corporate tax rate to 11.5% and by putting in place a 2% tax rate for New Yorkers who make more than $1 million.
Can New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stop Mamdani’s free bus plan?
It’s unclear whether Hochul can completely slam the brakes on Mamdani’s plan but one expert told CBS News that lacking her support would make it much more difficult.
“He’s going to need the support of the MTA and the state Legislature. Really, the governor,” J.C. Polanco, a professor at the University of Mount Saint Vincent in the Bronx, told the outlet. “Does (Hochul) raise taxes? She has already said no to that.”
See moments from Zohran Mamdani’s campaign for New York City mayor
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Candidate for New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a press conference while campaigning outside a Subway station in New York City, April 1, 2025. Mamdani (D-NY) was announced as the winner of the Democratic nomination for mayor in a crowded field in the City’s mayoral primary to choose a successor to Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for re-election on an independent ticket.
What happens now?
Mamdani’s team did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment about whether he’s going to continue to pursue free bus fares.
Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, was just elected on Nov. 4, beating out former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. He officially takes office on Jan. 1, 2026.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York governor pumps brakes on Zohran Mamdani’s plan for free buses