Governor Kathy Hochul is signaling caution over one of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s boldest ideas — making New York City’s buses free.
Speaking to reporters in San Juan, Puerto Rico, over the weekend, Hochul said she supports lowering costs for working-class riders but stopped short of backing Mamdani’s sweeping proposal for a fare-free bus system. “I cannot set forth a plan right now that takes money out of a system that relies on the fares of the buses and the subways,” she said. “But can we find a path to make it more affordable for people who need help? Of course we can.”
Hochul’s comments came just hours after she and Mamdani — both Democrats — appeared together at a political gathering where the governor praised the newly elected mayor as a “partner” in delivering for New Yorkers. The moment underscored the delicate balance both leaders are trying to strike: projecting unity while navigating deep policy differences on issues that will define the city’s near future.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist from Queens, campaigned on three big promises: free buses, universal child care, and a rent freeze for rent-stabilized apartments. Of those, the first two will require cooperation from Albany. Hochul, who controls the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, has made clear she wants to target relief, not overhaul the system. Her administration estimates that eliminating bus fares altogether could cost more than $800 million a year.
The governor’s caution isn’t just about cost — it’s about competing priorities. Hochul told reporters she plans to make universal child care a cornerstone of her upcoming legislative agenda.“Our ambitions are big,” she said. “But what is doable is the question.”
That pragmatism has defined Hochul’s approach since taking office — an insistence on incremental progress rather than sweeping promises. Mamdani, by contrast, has built his political identity on the urgency of affordability and equity. His spokeswoman, Dora Pekec, said the mayor-elect “looks forward to working with the governor to fund and deliver on our popular affordability agenda, including universal child care and fast and free buses.”
Even some transit leaders share Hochul’s hesitance. Janno Lieber, chair of the MTA, said the priority should be helping low-income riders first, not subsidizing every trip. “We’re not just giving a ton of money to people who are riding the 104 on the Upper West Side,” he said in a recent interview. But the city’s transit union president, John Samuelsen, pushed back, arguing that free buses are long overdue, noting that “so many riders already skip the fare.” Hochul insists she’s open to dialogue. “We have shared ambitions,” she said. “But what is doable is the question.”
