MTA to spend $50M on 5 free bus routes across NYC, boosted subway service

 Come on and take a free ride!

Five Big Apple bus routes will be free starting in late September, in part to monitor ridership numbers on transit lines with high fare evasion.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s troubleshooting plan is part of a $50 million state pilot pushed hard by progressives in Albany.

The funding also boosts the number of trains running on the No. 1, No. 6, C, N and R trains by 20 percent during the middays and on weekends.

“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,” said Gov. Kathy Hochul.

“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.”

The free bus service, which is expected to serve 43,900 daily weekday riders, will last for at least six months with a price tag of $15 million, while the bolstered subway service will cost approximately $35 million.

The MTA has announced the five bus routes across the city that will be free to ride starting in September.

Christopher Sadowski

Gov. Kathy Hochul said the five free bus routes will improve “transit equity” for New Yorkers.

Kevin C. Downs for NY Post

Each borough gets one free route:

• Bronx: The BX18 A/B, which runs from a loop from High Bridge to Morris Heights;
• Brooklyn: The B60, which runs from Canarsie all the way to Williamsburg;
• Manhattan: The crosstown M116 that links Central and East Harlem;
• Queens: The Q4 that runs along Linden Blvd, Merrick Blvd and Archer Ave;
• Staten Island: And the S46 that runs between the St. George Ferry Terminal and the West Shore Plaza Shopping Center and its limited stop twin, S96.

The transit lines were selected based on several factors: overall ridership, fare evasion, fairness for lower socio-economic communities, and commercial activity. The pilot will not include free transfers to buses or subway lines.

Crowding issues are expected as more people learn about the fare-free routes added MTA officials.

The MTA also announced bolstered service for several train lines by 20 percent during the middays and on weekends.

J.C. Rice for NY Post

Officials at the subway system also said that promised expansion of service in May would continue to arrive in August.

The C train will see midday service boosted to every 8-10 minutes, cutting waits from the current 10-12 minutes, starting on August 7.

The No. 1 and No. 6 trains will see their weekend service increased to every 6 minutes starting August 12.

And the N and the R will see their midday service improved to trains arriving roughly every 8 minutes, up from every 10 minutes under the current schedule.

The MTA lost an estimated $690 million last year to toll and fare evaders. The transit agency estimated the fare evasion on buses alone dented the MTA’s budget by $315 million – almost more than subway, commuter railroad and toll evaders combined.

https://nypost.com/2023/07/17/mta-to-spend-50m-on-5-free-bus-routes-across-nyc-boosted-subway-service/