Seeking to one-up Zohran Mamdani, Cuomo unveils free NYC transit plan

Casting himself as the reality-based alternative to Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo said Thursday he would make subways and buses free for the poorest New Yorkers.

The policy — which he estimates will cost $140 million annually — amounted to a less ambitious version of Mamdani’s campaign platform of making buses free for all riders. In a twist, Cuomo described the Democratic mayoral candidate's free-bus plan as a giveaway for the rich.

“Why is government supposed to be subsidizing the rich?” Cuomo asked during a press conference in Midtown, where he delivered a PowerPoint presentation reminiscent of his daily briefings as governor during the pandemic.

Cuomo’s proposal is the latest in a series of ideas from mayoral candidates about improving the city’s transit system, a key concern for voters. Earlier this week, Mayor Eric Adams announced he'd move forward with a "busway" plan for 34th Street in Manhattan that would restrict most passenger vehicle traffic from the badly congested corridor. Mamdani had criticized Adams for slow-walking that plan. On Thursday, the assemblymember planned to race one of 34th Street's notoriously slow buses on foot at an event with transit advocates.


https://gothamist.com/news/seeking-to-one-up-zohran-mamdani-cuomo-unveils-free-nyc-transit-plan