NYC Common Sense released the following statement regarding the “Next Stop: Fast Buses, Better Service” plan:
“Faster buses would be a genuine win for the 2.75 million New Yorkers who ride them every day, and expanding Fair Fares to put more money back in the pockets of eligible riders is exactly the kind of targeted, affordable relief this city needs. Credit where it’s due — this plan moves in the right direction.
“But New Yorkers should remember what they were actually promised. The Mayor didn’t campaign on shaving six minutes off a commute or expanding an existing discount program — he campaigned on free buses. That promise has not been kept. The MTA puts the cost of free buses at a billion dollars a year; the Mayor insisted it was $700 million; the head of the MTA won’t endorse it.
“Faster buses and expanded Fair Fares are welcome. But they are not free buses, and New Yorkers deserve an honest accounting of the difference between what was promised and what’s being delivered.”
###