MTA will start five free bus routes in the boroughs on Sunday, Sep. 24.
According to news outlets, the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) will begin its fare free bus pilot on five routes — one in each borough — on Sunday, Sept. 24, the transit authority said.
The MTA said the pilot program will serve around 43,900 daily weekday riders for a period of six to 12 months, Gov. Kathy Hochul said previously.
According to News 4 New York, routes were chosen based on ridership, fare evasion, service adequacy, equity for low-income and poor communities, and access to employment and commercial activity.
The report said the MTA will begin its fare free bus pilot on five routes — one in each borough — on Sunday, the transit authority said.
“The MTA is the lifeblood of New York City, and I’m proud of the tremendous progress we’ve made in returning ridership to pre-pandemic levels,” Hochul said. “By establishing these fare free bus pilot routes, we are expanding access to public transportation across the city and improving transit equity to better serve all New Yorkers.”
NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said Wednesday that the program will save a family of four “$6,000 a year. That is a lot of money for most families in this city.”
Meanwhile, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber welcomed the “innovation and creative thinking” of the pilot program.
“We have championed innovation and creative thinking across the transportation network and look forward to seeing how New Yorkers respond to this pilot program,” Lieber said.
