The Trump administration is considering a policy change that could effectively bar large cities from operating fare-free bus programs if they rely on federal transit funding, a move that could directly clash with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s pledge to eliminate bus fares citywide, Newsmax reports.

According to a draft proposal from the Department of Transportation obtained by Politico, the idea is being floated for inclusion in the next surface transportation reauthorization bill, which would require approval from Congress before taking effect.

The proposal would apply to transit agencies serving populations of more than 200,000 people and operating bus fleets larger than 100 vehicles.

Those thresholds could affect jurisdictions that currently offer free bus service, including parts of the Kansas City metropolitan area, Richmond, Virginia, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kansas City, however, is reportedly planning to bring fares back in the near future.

In New York City, the issue has taken on added political weight, as Mamdani made affordability a central theme of his campaign and vowed to “permanently eliminate the fare on every city bus.” On Tuesday, however, Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Janno Lieber dismissed that promise as a “campaign bumper sticker” while testifying at a budget hearing in Albany.

Under the draft language, transit agencies that receive funding from the Federal Transit Administration would be required to charge passengers. Jurisdictions that decline to comply could risk losing federal support.

“This policy would help ensure the largest federally supported systems are safer and more adequately funded by users,” the document says.

The proposal would still permit free rides for certain populations, including seniors, people with disabilities, children, students, and veterans.

It would also allow exceptions for special circumstances, such as major international events like the World Cup or the Olympics. That provision is notable given that the 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place across several U.S. cities with large transit systems, including Kansas City, Philadelphia, and the New York–New Jersey region.

Even so, Politico reported that the surface transportation legislation is unlikely to be completed before the World Cup begins. The next Summer Olympics are slated for Los Angeles in 2028.

The DOT’s argument centers largely on funding stability and safety concerns. The draft warns that fare-free transit “can result in unsustainable finances for the agency and potential safety issues,” and notes that some systems that eliminated fares experienced an increase in disruptive behavior.

Advocates of fare-free transit counter that eliminating fares boosts ridership and lowers barriers for working families trying to reach jobs and essential services.

Joel Mendez, an assistant professor of transportation planning at the University of Kansas who researched Kansas City’s experiment with free bus service, said the data points to wider mobility benefits.

“If more people are using the bus, which the evidence suggests across a broad range of demographics, we could be significantly improving their mobility and enhancing access to services and resources throughout the region, including jobs, and that can have a positive impact on their quality of life,” Mendez told Politico.

On Capitol Hill, Democrats sharply criticized the proposal from the Trump administration’s Transportation Department.

“This proposal makes no sense,” Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, said in a statement. “Transit agencies are pretty good at making their own decisions about how to operate to meet local needs.”

“The FTA should be in a position to support them, not undermine them,” he added.

{Matzav.com}