Transit agency reports massive revenue losses while mayor pushes affordability agenda on buses.
MTA Confronts Structural Challenges to Free Bus Implementation
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority reported that over 700 people per minute are fare evading on the city’s buses, with 44 percent of bus ridership not paying fares in early 2025. This massive revenue loss complicates Mayor Mamdani’s commitment to free buses, as MTA officials argue that without fare revenue, the agency cannot maintain adequate service levels. The agency collected approximately $900 million less than expected in fare revenue when combined with subway evasion, creating pressure on maintenance, staffing, and system improvements.
Scale of the Evasion Problem
The MTA estimates that bus fare evasion exceeds $16 million monthly, with the problem disproportionately affecting bus service as opposed to subway operations. Supervisors at the agency acknowledge difficulty enforcing fares on buses because stationing personnel on every vehicle to check payment is impractical and costly. The agency is implementing new enforcement technologies and strategies, but success remains uncertain given the scale of the problem.
Mamdani’s Response and Implementation Challenges
The mayor has stated commitment to making buses free and fast, but the massive evasion problem suggests that many riders already treat buses as free in practice. This creates philosophical and practical complications for the free-bus agenda, as the administration must address whether fare evasion will end once buses officially become free, or whether the problem will persist.
Funding Requirements and State Support
Making buses free would require approximately $2 billion annually in replacement revenue, a figure that must come from either city sources, state sources, or alternative revenue mechanisms such as parking meter revenue. Governor Hochul has indicated no budgetary provision exists for such funding, meaning Mamdani must find creative solutions or negotiate with Albany for state support. For more on transit challenges, see MTA resources and transit reporting. Resolving the tension between free buses and fare evasion will require innovative approaches to transit finance and enforcement.
