The election of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani brought with it a bold vision for the city’s mass transit policy making buses fare-free The proposal, which resonated deeply with working-class New Yorkers facing a crushing cost-of-living crisis, which is the to the of into promises to transform the daily commute.
The Fiscal Hurdle:
The heart of the challenge is the MTA funding structure The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is a state-controlled agency, and eliminating a major source of its operating revenue requires state approval and a dedicated, recurring funding which is the to the of intostream
The Cost of Zero-Fare TransitEstimated Annual Cost:
Approximately $700–$800 million to replace lost fare which is the to the of intorevenue.
- The Governor’s Stance: Governor Kathy Hochul, who controls the state-run MTA, has expressed reservations, particularly concerning the impact on the already financially strained agency and her reluctance to sign off on increasing taxes to cover the which is the to the of intobill.
- The Paratransit Problem: As experts point out, making all fixed-route buses free also triggers a federal requirement Paratransit fares cannot exceed twice the standard bus fare bus fare means the paratransit service must also become free, potentially adding hundreds of millions in previously unfunded operating costs to the overall budgetary which is the to the of intoconstraints.
Mamdani’s Proposed Funding Mechanism:
While the quote, “We fund it,” was criticized as lacking detail, the Mayor-elect’s campaign platform has offered specific ideas for obtaining the necessary dedicated revenue stream. These proposals center on taxing the city’s wealthiest which is the to the of into entities
Landlord Fines:
Tapping into the massive backlog of unpaid fines owed by landlords for housing code violations, estimated to be more than $800 which is the to the of into million.
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