nice while it lasted —
MTA free bus pilot ending on Sept. 1, deemed a dud despite increased ridership
By Ben BrachfeldPosted on July 29, 2024
The MTA’s yearlong free bus service pilot is set to unceremoniously end on Sept. 1, with the agency deeming the experiment a dud even though it generated increased ridership.
Started last September, the MTA eliminated fares on five bus lines, one in each borough, as part of an experiment mandated by state lawmakers as part of the authority’s financial rescue package in 2023. The five lines chosen were the Bx18 in the Bronx, the B60 in Brooklyn, the M116 in Manhattan, the Q4 in Queens, and the S46/96 in Staten Island.
Months after state legislators declined to extend the pilot in this year’s budget, and agency brass cast aspersions on it, the MTA has put out its initial findings.
more:
https://www.amny.com/transit/mta-fre...ing-ridership/