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No free bus in NYC? Governor Kathy Hochul junks Mamdani's mayoral poll promise; ‘can’t set forth a plan right now'
New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani had pitched free buses as one of his signature policy proposals in the run-up to the polls.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul seems to have dealt a blow to New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani's pre-poll promise even before he took office. Hochul was asked about the free bus plan which Mamdani had pitched as one of his signature policy proposals in the run-up to the elections.
The Democrat governor clearly stated that she could not set forth a plan to that end right now. “I 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,” she said. However, Hochul added that they could try and find a path towards making them more affordable for people who need it.
What to know about Mamdani's plan for free buses
In 2024, MTA was going through a funding crunch and it turned out that fare evasion was increasing the problem. At the time, Mamdani, who was a Queens assemblyman had said that people were not paying fares because they couldn't afford it.
“That's about $800 million a year, which may sound like a lot of money, and it is substantial, but in the context of a city budget that's north of $100 billion and a state budget that's north of $220 billion, this is just pennies,” he had reportedly said at the time.
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In September 2025, Mamdani told CBS News that he planned to pay for this by increasing corporate tax rate to 11.5% and instituting a flat 2% tax rate for people earning $1 million or more. “My vision for making the most expensive city in the United States of America affordable is actually one that benefits all of us,” he had told the publication.
However, Mamdani as mayor would need Hochul's help as well as the state legislature to raise taxes. Now, the recent statements from the New York Governor suggests that this is not likely to happen.
Hochul had endorsed Mamdani for NYC mayor, and the Democrat candidate beat former governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican pick Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani will be sworn-in on January 1, 2026.
