Governor Kathy Hochul speaks throughout a information convention within the Purple Room on the State Capitol.
Mike Groll/Workplace of Governor Kathy Hochul
Congressional Reps. Grace Meng (D-Queens) and Dan Goldman (D-Manhattan/Brooklyn) had been amongst a number of individuals who wrote a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday, requesting the growth of New York Metropolis’s Fare-Free Bus Pilot Program.
As New York State funds negotiations proceed, the proposal to allocate appropriations of $45 million to develop a fare-free bus pilot and $45 million to develop bus service reliability and frequency has help from each homes of the state Legislature.
“In keeping with the MTA, the aim of the pilot is to check how fare-free service impacts ridership, entry, fairness, and fare evasion,” mentioned the lawmakers of their letter. “And whereas the research has not but concluded, studies point out not solely robust help for fare-free service growth, but additionally elevated ridership below this system.
“Tens of millions of New Yorkers and guests depend on the MTA to entry financial and academic alternative,” they added. “An growth of the Fare-Free Bus Pilot with further routes will give the MTA a extra wholistic understanding of fare-free transit’s advantages in New York.”
The legislators mentioned that the pilot created one fare-free bus route in every borough by means of final 12 months’s state funds, “lastly introducing New York to the financial and social advantages of free public transit.”
The proposed $45 million would develop this important pilot to a few strains per borough, or 15 strains throughout New York Metropolis.
In keeping with New York Metropolis Transit Authority President Richard Davey, the fare-free bus pilot has already led to a rise of as much as 20 p.c in ridership on free routes.
The proposed laws to develop the fare-free bus pilot consists of necessities that at the very least three routes be chosen in every of the 5 boroughs.
“Routes can be chosen primarily based on ridership, service adequacy, and fairness for low-income communities, in addition to entry to employment and industrial exercise,” the congressional representatives mentioned.
“Fare-free buses are quicker, safer, and supply financial reduction to a disproportionately working-class section of New York commuters,” they mentioned.
The legislators mentioned the common revenue of bus riders is $30,000.
They mentioned Hispanic (14 p.c) and Black New Yorkers (16 p.c) are twice as probably to make use of buses of their commutes as White New Yorkers (7 p.c).
“MTA buses are at the moment the slowest within the nation,” the congressional representatives mentioned. “The appropriation of $45 million wouldn’t solely make buses extra reasonably priced however improves service throughout the MTA bus community.”
Moreover Meng and Godman, the letter to Hochul was signed by eight different members of the New York Metropolis Congressional delegation: Bowman, Velázquez, Meeks, Nadler, Clarke, Espaillat, Ocasio-Cortez and Torres.
