Transit

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A community for discussion on transit systems and transportation all over the world: including buses, trains, trams, streetcars, bicycles, etc. Also relevant are transportation planning, transportation engineering, and design.

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Something Surprising Happens When Bus Rides Are Free (www.nytimes.com)

submitted 1 month ago by pete_link@lemmy.ml to c/transit@lemmy.world

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43191242

Feb. 13, 2026

https://archive.ph/gBRoW

Free buses? Really? Of all the promises that Zohran Mamdani made during his New York City mayoral campaign, that one struck some skeptics as the most frivolous leftist fantasy. Unlike housing, groceries and child care, which weigh heavily on New Yorkers’ finances, a bus ride is just a few bucks. Is it really worth the huge effort to spare people that tiny outlay?

It is. Far beyond just saving riders money, free buses deliver a cascade of benefits, from easing traffic to promoting public safety. Just look at Boston; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; Kansas City, Mo.; and even New York itself, all of which have tried it to excellent effect. And it doesn’t have to be costly — in fact, it can come out just about even.

If free buses strike you as wasteful, you’re not alone. Plenty of the beneficiaries would be people who can afford to pay. Does it make sense to give them a freebie? Yes, if it improves the life of the city, just as free parks, libraries and public schools do. Don’t think of it as a giveaway to the undeserving. Think of it as a gift to all New Yorkers in every community. We deserve it.

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[–] vatlark@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

It's not a gift.

The fares people pay only cover a few percent of the operating expenses, it's mostly paid by taxes already. Eliminating fares altogether saves a bunch of time and confrontation(as the article points out).

If you want to have fares they shouldn't be done at the time of boarding.