NYC mayoral candidate touts free Staten Island Ferry as cause for free bus service

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Detractors say Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani’s plan for free buses could never be a reality, but the mayoral candidate thinks one Staten Island institution could be a good example.

In a campaign video published Sunday, the mayoral candidate talks through the history of the fare-free Staten Island Ferry, and says New Yorkers should keep it in mind when they hear opponents say why free bus service couldn’t be.

“When someone tells you buses could never be free, ask them how much they pay to take the Staten Island Ferry,” Mamdani wrote in an X post promoting the video shot May 30 following a visit to the Island.

The Staten Island Ferry, which is controlled by the city Department of Transportation, saw its $0.50 fare eliminated in July 1997 under former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

That decision came as the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) moved to its free transfer system, and significantly reduced commuting costs for Staten Islanders. It also helped turn the ferry into a tourist attraction.

Reporting from the time the city launched the free Staten Island Ferry showed commuters caught off guard by the news but mostly pleased.

Mamdani says he wants the same for commuters in the five boroughs who rely on MTA buses to get around. He was a major proponent of the free bus pilot program that ran to Aug. 31, 2024 and included the S46/96 route.

If elected mayor, Mamdani says he wants to expand that pilot to all the city’s routes, but he’ll need the cooperation of the New York Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul, as the state government controls the MTA.

It’s unclear if a Mayor Mamdani would get that cooperation from the state, particularly given the MTA’s constant budget woes, but that doesn’t like it would stop the candidate from trying.

“When people say buses can never be free, don’t ask them to take a hike. Ask them to take the ferry,” Mamdani said in his campaign video.

Early voting for the mayoral primary starts June 14 and will run to June 22. Election Day is June 24.