Subject: Re: Free bus rides an in the seat & ...

The NYC bus system has: 238 local routes; 20 Select Bus service routes; and 75 express routes (total 333).

The MTA is already heavily subsidized by tax payers.

From the net sifter:

The New York City bus system budget, which is part of the larger Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is subsidized by taxpayers through a combination of dedicated taxes, state and city government contributions, and federal aid
. In 2024, fares and tolls covered 39% of the MTA's operating budget, while the remaining 61% came from taxes, fees, and other government sources, meaning a significant portion, over half, is taxpayer-subsidized.

Taxpayer-funded sources: The MTA receives a large portion of its funding from taxpayer-supported sources, such as dedicated taxes and fees, and direct contributions from New York State and New York City governments.

Fare and toll revenue: In 2024, fares and tolls accounted for 39% of the MTA's operating budget, down from 52% before the pandemic.

Government contributions: State and city governments provide a substantial portion of the MTA's funding, with New York City taxpayers contributing an estimated 45% of the state's contribution to the MTA.

Overall subsidy: As fares and tolls only cover 39% of the operating costs, the remaining 61% is covered by government funding and other subsidies, making the system heavily taxpayer-subsidized.

Unfortunately, the net sifter did not find an estimate of how much of the MTA's budget is spent administering the fare collection and processing.

But, ideology dictates that people pay for everything. The media also has blowhards like Sean Hannity that bellow that public transit is "a big gummit conspiracy to take away our freeedom", which I heard him say with my own ears.

Steve