The Washington Post editorial board criticized New York City Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to overhaul the city’s bus system on Saturday.
The outlet argued the democratic socialist candidate’s promise to eliminate bus fares and make routes more efficient would be costly for taxpayers, even those who don’t use the service.
“Plenty of cities have eliminated bus fares, but it always comes at a cost. Olympia, Washington, did so in 2020 to avoid having to upgrade their fare-card readers but hiked the local sales tax. That means everyone pays, whether they ride or not,” the board wrote.
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The editorial first noted the high cost of Mamdani’s proposals, challenging the candidate’s suggestion that the price is minimal.
“Sure enough, the self-described democratic socialist estimates his proposal would cost the city ‘just under’ $800 million a year, which is ‘$50 million less than what New York spent on the new Buffalo Bills stadium.’”
“Oh, is that all? In fact, it is not,” the board wrote, adding that the mayoral hopeful’s plans to make the buses faster and more reliable add to the high costs.
“Naturally, that will require a lot more spending, too. Mamdani has promised to install new dedicated bus lanes across the city and other service upgrades. He also wants more loading zones on city streets to make it quicker for people to get on. So add those costs onto the tab as well,” the outlet added.
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The editorial noted that middle and lower-income taxpayers would bear the burden, since New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., has “already ruled out raising taxes on high-income residents to pay for his agenda.”
The board also warned that Mamdani’s fare-free bus system could invite crime and vandalism.
“Other free systems have drawn criticism for becoming magnets of crime and vandalism, such as Portland, Oregon, where fare-free transit was discontinued in 2012.”
The board added, “Quality inevitably declines when a service is offered for ‘free.’ Vagrants and drug addicts would camp out all day on New York’s buses, especially in the winter. Parents would grow afraid to let their children ride alone. Wealthier residents would find another way to get around, but poor New Yorkers who depend on the bus would suffer the most.”
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The Post editorial board has criticized Mamdani several times during his campaign.
In an editorial from June, the board warned that his candidacy is “bad” for New York and the Democratic Party.
“New Yorkers should be worried that he would lead Gotham back to the bad old days of civic dysfunction, and Democrats should fear that he will discredit their next generation of party leaders, almost all of whom are better than this democratic socialist,” it stated.
In an editorial earlier this month, the Post ripped Mamdani’s proposal to phase out early elementary school programs for gifted students for the sake of equity, calling the idea “shocking.”
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Mamdani did not reply to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
