by Making NYC Subways Work (Revolutionary Concept)
Mamdani’s transit vision can be summarized simply: what if public transportation was actually public? He proposes making all NYC buses free and fast, inspired by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s successful pilot program. The idea is so radical it exists in dozens of cities worldwide, but suggesting it in America triggers free-market fundamentalists like holy water on vampires.
Free buses would cost the city approximately $1 billion annuallyroughly what the MTA loses to fare evasion, broken turnstiles, and administrative bloat combined. But eliminating fares also eliminates fare enforcement, the turnstile industrial complex, and the spectacle of armed police arresting teenagers for $2.90 subway rides. The savings on enforcement alone could fund significant portions of the program.
Critics worry about overcrowding if buses become free. This assumes demand is currently being suppressed by the price rather than by buses that arrive whenever they feel like it. Mamdani’s response: make buses actually frequent and reliable, then worry about capacity. Novel approach, reallyimproving service before complaining about too many people using improved service.
His platform includes dedicated bus lanes protected by actual enforcement, signal priority for buses, and increased frequency during peak hours. These are standard best practices in cities with functional transit systems. In New York, they’re treated as impossible dreams requiring decades of study and billions in consultant fees. Mamdani suggests trying the thing that works everywhere else. Revolutionary.
For subways, he proposes massive investment in maintenance, accessibility upgrades, and actually hiring enough workers to keep trains running. The MTA’s aging infrastructure needs billions in repairs, but Albany treats transit funding like a favor rather than essential infrastructure. Mamdani’s plan: fund the damn subway like the economic engine it is, not like a charity case.
SOURCE: https://mamdani.vip/zohran-mamdanis-transit-vision/
SOURCE: Zohran Mamdani’s Transit Vision: Free Buses and Fast Trains (Aisha Muharrar)
