NYC's Free Bus Program Ends: Fare Evasion Crisis Blamed

NYC's Free Bus Program Ends: Fare Evasion Crisis Blamed

The MTA's pilot program offering free bus rides across all five boroughs in NYC has come to an end. The decision comes after a report revealed a significant increase in fare evasion across the city's transit system, costing the MTA an estimated $700 million in 2022.

The program, initially intended to run for six months, extended for a year, offering free trips on the Bx18A/B, B60, M116, Q4, and S46/96 bus routes. The MTA blames the decision to end the program on a steep rise in fare evasion, with nearly half of all bus riders not paying their fare, resulting in a loss of $315 million.

**MTA leaders have stated that fare evasion poses a threat to reliable transit and increases the need for fare hikes. **

Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani argues that many people don't pay because they cannot afford it, suggesting that all buses should be free and the cost covered by the city and state.

In response to the fare evasion crisis, the MTA and NYPD have stepped up enforcement efforts. The city's Eagle Team, a group of 200 officers in uniform or plain clothes, are now actively issuing summonses to bus riders caught not paying fares.