Congressman Dan Goldman, Congresswoman Grace Meng Lead New York City Delegation in Urging Governor Hochul to Invest in Expansion of Fare-Free Bus Pilot Program

Read the Letter Here

New York, NY – Congressman Dan Goldman (NY-10) and Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06) led eight of their colleagues from the New York City delegation in sending a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul urging the Governor to support an additional $90 million in funding to improve MTA bus service and expand the fare-free bus pilot program in New York’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 State budget. The initial pilot program, funded through last year’s State budget, created one fare-free bus route in each of the five boroughs.

The members specifically ask for $45 million to expand the program to three additional fare-free bus lines in each of the five boroughs. The members are also calling for an additional $45 million to expand bus service reliability and frequency across the public transportation network.

"Most importantly, expanding this pilot program is an investment in a more equitable public transit system. Giving New Yorkers more free bus routes will increase the dynamism of our communities and reduce the financial burden of accessing transit for low-and-middle-income New Yorkers. At the same time, this program makes our city more affordable and more connected,” the lawmakers wrote.

Congressmembers Goldman and Meng were joined by Representatives Bowman (NY-16), Clarke (NY-09), Espaillat (NY-13), Meeks (NY-05), Nadler (NY-12), Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Torres (NY-15), and Velázquez (NY-07).

Congressman Dan Goldman is committed to ensuring that New York City’s public transportation infrastructure serves working-class New Yorkers.

Last month, Congressman Goldman, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine also urged Governor Hochul and the New York State Legislature to support an additional $90 million in funding to improve MTA bus service and expand the fare-free pilot program in New York’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 State budget.

Read the letter here or below:

Dear Governor Hochul,

As Members of New York City’s Congressional Delegation, we respectfully request your support for expanding the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Fare-Free Bus Pilot in the final Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 state budget. This pilot launched one fare-free bus route in each borough through last year’s state budget, finally introducing New York to the economic and social benefits of free public transit. To bring these benefits to more communities, we ask you to support appropriations in the final state budget of $45 million to expand this crucial pilot and $45 million to expand bus service reliability and frequency.

According to the MTA, the purpose of the pilot is to study how fare-free service affects ridership, access, equity, and fare evasion. And while the study has not yet concluded, reports indicate not only strong support for fare-free service expansion, but also increased ridership under the program. Millions of New Yorkers and visitors rely on the MTA to access economic and educational opportunity. An expansion of the Fare-Free Bus Pilot with additional routes will give the MTA a more wholistic understanding of fare-free transit’s benefits in New York.

In addition to the MTA’s study, there are already proven models for fare-free service and its benefit to ridership and equity throughout the country. In Boston, Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) instituted a four year-long fare-free bus program in 2022 that increased ridership to roughly 16 percent from pre-pandemic levels in the program’s first year. This encouraging result should instill confidence that expanding the MTA’s pilot program is a sound investment in our city.

Most importantly, expanding this pilot program is an investment in a more equitable public transit system. Giving New Yorkers more free bus routes will increase the dynamism of our communities and reduce the financial burden of accessing transit for low-and-middle-income New Yorkers. At the same time, this program makes our city more affordable and more connected. That is why we encourage this crucial investment in the MTA’s Fare-Free Bus Pilot in the final FY 2025 budget.

Finally, we request $45 million to increase frequency and improve reliability of MTA buses, which are currently the slowest in the nation. New Yorkers deserve not just more affordable transit, but higher quality transit as well.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

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