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Bus fare revenue fell $31 million during Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first six months in office compared with the same period in 2025, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reported.
Paid bus ridership declined nearly 8% in June year over year, and agency estimates show nearly half of all bus riders now skip the $3 fare.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber pointed to campaign rhetoric as a contributing factor in July, telling reporters after a board meeting that "all of the talk of free buses" was having an impact, according to the New York Post.
He did not name Mamdani directly. The mayor had made "fast and free buses" a central platform in his 2025 campaign. The MTA is controlled by the state under Democratic Gov.
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