The City Is Debating Free Buses and Cheaper Fares. Here's What It Means for East New York.

The Budget Fight

New York City Council is pushing Mayor Zohran Mamdani to include one of two transit affordability measures in the FY2027 budget before the June 30 deadline. The two proposals are different in scope and cost, but both would put money back in the pockets of low-income riders across the city.

Option 1 — Make all buses fare-free. Every bus rider, regardless of income, pays nothing. The city’s Independent Budget Office estimates this would cost about $1.1 billion per year, assuming ridership grows by 25% as a result. The cost would be split between the MTA, New York State, and the city.

Option 2 — Expand Fair Fares. Fair Fares already gives low-income riders a 50% discount on subway and bus fares. The Council wants to expand who qualifies or increase the discount to 100%. The IBO estimates expansion would cost between $87 million and $419 million per year depending on what changes are made. This cost would fall entirely on New York City.

What Fair Fares Is Right Now

Fair Fares launched in 2019. Today it gives a 50% discount on subway rides, local buses, and Access-A-Ride trips to New Yorkers between 18 and 64 years old whose household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. In 2026, that means:

• Single person earning up to $23,940 per year
• Family of four earning up to $49,500 per year

About 940,000 New Yorkers currently qualify. Only 385,000 — roughly 41% — have actually enrolled. That means more than half a million eligible New Yorkers are paying full fare when they don’t have to.

The East New York Connection

East New York is directly in this debate. The B20 and B83 run on Pennsylvania Avenue — one of the neighborhood’s main bus corridors, connecting Broadway Junction to Spring Creek and Gateway Center. The B12, B14, B15, B25, B42, B45, B65, B83, B84, Q24, and Q56 all operate out of the East New York Bus Depot. These are the buses ENY residents ride to work, to doctor appointments, to grocery stores, and to school every day.

For a household already stretched thin, $2.90 per ride adds up fast. Two trips a day, five days a week, is about $290 per month at full fare. Fair Fares cuts that to $145. Free buses brings it to zero. That difference is rent, food, and utilities for families living paycheck to paycheck.

Are You Eligible Right Now?

You may already qualify for Fair Fares and not know it. If you receive SNAP or cash assistance, you can enroll directly without additional paperwork. Otherwise you need proof of identity, address, and income.

What Happens Next

The FY2027 budget deadline is June 30, 2026. City Council and the Mamdani administration are still negotiating. The Comptroller has separately flagged a projected $8.8 billion gap in FY2028, which puts pressure on how much the city can commit to ongoing transit subsidies.

If neither proposal passes, nothing changes. Fair Fares stays at 50% for those enrolled, and the 555,000 eligible New Yorkers who haven’t signed up keep paying full fare.

If the free bus proposal passes, East New York riders on the B20, B83, and every other bus route would pay nothing starting as soon as the program is funded. If Fair Fares expands, more residents would qualify and the discount could increase to 100%.

The East New York Times will follow this as the budget deadline approaches. If you want to tell your City Council member what transit affordability means to your household, contact CM Chris Banks (District 42) at council.nyc.gov/district-42 or CM Sandy Nurse (District 37) at council.nyc.gov/district-37.