January 10, 2026 New York City’s newly minted Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, ran a campaign fueled by a radical promise: no more swipes, no more fares—just free buses for everyone. But as the reality of governing sets in, that promise is colliding head-first with a cold, hard "no" from the state’s most powerful desk.
In a bombshell TV interview on January 8, Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed the one thing Mamdani’s supporters feared: The fare-free bus plan will be missing from her upcoming State of the State address. "Not At This Time" While the Governor and the Mayor stood shoulder-to-shoulder in Brooklyn just hours earlier to celebrate a win for universal childcare, the warmth didn't extend to the transit budget. When pressed on whether free buses would be part of her 2026 agenda, Hochul’s response was ice-cold: "Not at this time."
While she left the door a crack open by saying "nothing is a permanent no," the subtext is clear. Hochul, who is staring down a reelection year, is in no mood to sign off on the massive tax hikes Mamdani needs to fund his vision.
The $9 Billion Tax War
To pay for the $700 million bus plan (which the MTA claims will actually cost closer to $1 billion), Mayor Mamdani has proposed a scorched-earth tax policy:
Mamdani’s team argues these moves would rake in $9 billion a year. Hochul, however, isn't buying it. "I don’t think it makes sense to tax anyone, or the wealthy in particular, for just the sake of raising taxes," she declared, signaling a major philosophical rift between City Hall and Albany.
The MTA's Skepticism
It’s not just the Governor standing in the way. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber is also pumping the brakes. Lieber, ever the pragmatist, argues that "free for all" is bad policy. He wants to see benefits targeted at low-income riders via the Fair Fares program rather than subsidizing rides for New Yorkers who can afford the $2.90.
