The program was funded by the state Legislature in 2023. Its termination comes as the MTA reports sky-high rates of fare evasion.
The free ride is over.MTA officials during a board meeting last month said weekday ridership increased by as much as 35% on the free routes during the course of the pilot — but also warned the program falsely signaled to New Yorkers that they’re allowed to ride any bus without paying.
The MTA’s analysis found that fare evasion increased on bus routes located near the free ones — but noted the jump in fare beating was similar to what the agency is observing citywide. Both verbal and physical assaults against bus drivers dropped significantly on free buses, the report showed. Assaults on bus drivers decreased 39% on the free bus routes compared to the year before the pilot — compared to a 20% decrease on all other routes in the city.
“Bus drivers felt less stress, they felt happier about the work they did because there were less incidents and assaults,” Patafio said.
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