With the upcoming NYC mayoral election, it makes way for candidates to push for their future vision for the city. One of the frontrunners Zohran Mamdani has an ambitious plan for fast and free buses on his platform. Any plan that is out of the box does not come without criticism. Recently on X, Jarrett Walker claimed the plan would harm public transit in NYC and push low-income New Yorkers away from subways to less efficient buses. This is an argument for why fare-free buses work and a pathway to guarantee fast buses.

To some, free buses bring up more problems than solutions, but this is why fare-free buses work for New York City.

The biggest benefit is that this program provides immediate relief for working-class New Yorkers, where paying the fare is not a worry for bus riders and removes an economic burden that does not need to be there in the first place. Many working-class New Yorkers rely on buses to reach their neighborhoods in outer boroughs where subway lines may not reach. Buses give access to people who need to travel without the need for cars, which are huge expenses in the city. The second benefit is increased bus operator safety as there are fewer rider conflicts that arise. In the MTA study, verbal and physical assaults toward bus operators dropped around 38% on fare-free bus routes. This relieves stress and creates fewer distractions for bus operators with a main focus on completing the route. Lastly, providing fare-free buses creates trips that otherwise would not have been made, which can create travel paths between neighborhoods and give local businesses a boost in activity. It can also generate trips for New Yorkers that are not exclusively work-related and help New Yorkers get to places to hang out and explore, which overall boosts their health and mental well-being.

However, making bus fares free is not enough. To truly create better buses we need to focus on permanent bus infrastructure and exemplify elements of bus rapid transit. We need to create visible changes to our streets. This would include bus-only lanes that have physical barriers that prevent cars from entering and parking. Signal priority that does not make buses stop at red lights and streamline their routes. Deploying more buses and articulated buses will reduce wait times and increase moving capacity. Making bus stations that are well built out with accessible level boarding platforms and rider-friendly bus shelters creates an seamless and enjoyable transit experience.

To put things into a big picture view, creating free buses and a better bus system motivates more New Yorkers to be bus riders, and to hopefully use the buses as they would with the subway. This can then create a domino effect that can change the political landscape, where bus riders become a large and diverse constituency that policymakers cannot ignore.

This a huge step to creating a bus system that people prefer rather than tolerate. Focusing on bus infrastructure that can take people to work and recreation creates a thriving city that provides everyone with an affordable way to get around. It also promotes a healthy city where New Yorkers do not have to rely on car ownership and have the ability to have options when it comes to transportation.

This mayoral election is creating a wave of hope that we can make the right choice to make our city thrive for every New Yorker, not just for the wealthy few.