Should the bus be free? Transit advocates are divided
Should the bus be free? Transit advocates are divided
This article explores the debate around making public buses free, focusing on New York City where mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani champions the idea. Proponents argue free transit improves mobility and speed, while critics suggest reliability and frequency are more crucial. The piece uses Kansas City's experience with fare elimination—which faced funding and security challenges leading to reintroduction of fares—as a cautionary example, highlighting the complexities and mixed outcomes of such policies.
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mamdani was not elected solely for this promise. but perhaps a mayor who cares about things like buses at all helps!
the mixed results in other cities isn't surprising. transportation isn't cheap. if the goal is increased ridership and less cars, this isn't a problem with a single root issue.
electric buses, more routes, buses every 15 minutes, improved safety and affordable fairs all play a non-trivial role in this vision.
that is going to take a big investment.
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