If Zohran Mamdani, the Big Apple’s openly democratic-socialist, covertly communist mayoral candidate makes it into Gracie Mansion, he will try to enact many plans to improve — i.e., worsen — things.
The candidate wants to increase taxes and government spending, reduce freedom and individual responsibility. The standard Democratic agenda, but foisted bigger and faster.
One announced plan is to scrap mass transit fees.
Taxpayers would then suffer new costs. But so would riders who travel “free.” Greater crowding is one. Another is the kind of people who would be more often riding, no longer discouraged by having to pay fares or having to risk arrest for jumping a turnstile. Riders would be plagued by more bums and more criminals.
Beggars already being a common sight on NYC subways, it’s easy to project that ending financial and physical barriers to entry would only encourage more. Criminals would also be encouraged.
We might consider what happened elsewhere when this has been tried. Kansas City, Boston, Philadelphia — a “scientific socialist” would insist on a thorough study of all those cases, but Mamdani’s merely mentioned Bogotá’s, and is not pushing a study, maybe because he’s seen the mess Albuquerque’s in, after eliminating its one-dollar bus fare in 2023. Buses were soon being used as “rolling homeless shelters.” Local media also reported that they were “being used as getaway vehicles for shoplifters.… The addition of security guards on buses has undoubtedly caused criminals to think twice, but it has not solved the problem.”
The author of these words, Paul Gessing, is hoping that recounting Albuquerque’s experience will convince Mamdani to scrap his free-transit proposal. Should Mamdani become mayor, he may eventually be forced do so, but probably only after first making everybody suffer.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
Illustration created with Krea and Firefly
3 replies on “Free Transit Isn’t Free”
“Famous rationalization: “Real socialism has never been tried”.
Actually it has. At Plymouth Rock’s Pilgrim colony. Where they had absolute control. And many starved because of it before they stopped. Since then, they only try it for a little bit and each time have to resort to escalating force to try to maintain it. That’s the “not really been tried” part.
Let’s hope Mamdani sees the light after the election. How will people whose jobs are in Manhattan but whose homes are in the outer boroughs commute between home and work? Anyone not within walking distance of his place of employment will face a longer, and possibly more dangerous, commute. Mamdani, secured in Gracie Mansion, won’t have to worry about commuting.
Possibly it could work, but only if there is real punishment for criminals. Any crime on public transportation would have to result in jail time. There would have to be increased police presence on public transportation to enforce lawful behavior.