Mamdani Faces Backlash After City Bus Fares Increase-lllllllll
The new mayor of New York City is facing a wave of criticism after fares for city buses increased this week, though he promised free buses for all residents during his campaign. New York City transit riders began paying higher fares this week after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority implemented a long-planned increase, raising the base fare for buses and subways from $2.90 to $3.
Reduced fares rose to $1.50, while express bus fares increased to $7.25, Newsweek reported.
The fare hike took effect shortly after Zohran Mamdani assumed office as mayor, drawing criticism online from residents who pointed to his campaign pledge to make city buses free. Critics argued the increase highlights a gap between campaign rhetoric and the financial realities of governing the nation’s largest city, the report said.
While the mayor does not directly control MTA fare decisions, the timing of the increase has renewed debate over whether progressive transit promises are achievable without new taxes or additional public subsidies. The MTA board approved the fare hike last year as part of its regular budget cycle, citing rising operating costs and inflation.
In response to the criticism, Mamdani posted on social media that he rode the Q70 bus, the city’s only fare-free route, over the weekend to hear from riders. He did not announce any immediate changes to fare policy.
“Today, New York City subway and bus fares rose from $2.90 to $3. I spent the evening riding the only free bus in the city, the Q70, to hear what a fare free ride has meant for New Yorkers,” Mamdani wrote on X on Sunday. “What was clear right away was the relief this one bus line gives working class New Yorkers. Imagine if every bus felt like this.”
“As mayor, I’ll make every bus fast and free,” Mamdani said in a campaign video last year.
Mamdani took office on Thursday, and in his inauguration speech, he said: “Getting on a bus without worrying about a fare hike or whether you’ll be late to your destination will no longer be deemed a small miracle—because we will make buses fast and free.”
Although the fare increase was approved before Mamdani took office and rate increases are determined by the MTA Board, social media users still criticized the rise in costs and highlighted Mamdani’s campaign promise, Newsweek pointed out.
“Mamdani promised us a free ride, but all we got is a higher fare,” one X user wrote, per the outlet.
“Bus and Subway fares in NYC are jumping to $3 as of today. The good mayor promised free. Hoodwinked!” said another.
Another X user wrote that Mamdani “has been in office for 3 days” and “the fare increase was set in September.”
Supporters of the increase note that transit fares help fund system maintenance and operations, and that freezing or eliminating fares would require alternative funding sources. The MTA has warned that without periodic increases, the agency could face deeper service cuts or budget shortfalls.
The fare hike comes as city and state officials continue to grapple with balancing affordability for riders against the long-term financial stability of New York’s transit system.
The MTA noted on its website: “Fares and tolls give the MTA resources to operate a safe and reliable transportation system that New Yorkers can count on. Fare and toll changes are small and occur at regular intervals to keep up with inflation and avoid surprising customers with unpredictable or double-digit increases.”
Meanwhile, a federal bankruptcy judge on Thursday blocked Mamdani’s attempt to intervene in the sale of thousands of rent-stabilized apartments. The Mamdani administration sought to delay the transaction after tenants complained that the current owner, Pinnacle Group, had failed to properly maintain the properties.
Rep. Ilhan Omar Intensifies Criticism of Federal Immigration Enforcement
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota sharply escalated her criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operations on Monday, accusing federal agents of treating Minneapolis as an occupying force and again calling for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s resignation or impeachment.
In remarks to constituents in Minneapolis, Omar repeatedly described the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal officers in the city as an inappropriate use of government authority, saying the situation has created fear among local residents. Omar said Minneapolis is “currently under occupation” and cited concerns about schools, hospitals and daily life as evidence of what she called harmful federal intervention.
“We do not exaggerate when we say we have schools where two-thirds of the students are afraid to go to school,” Omar said. “We do not exaggerate when we say we have people who are afraid to go to the hospital because our hospitals have occupying paramilitary forces.”
Omar referenced two recent fatalities during federal immigration operations in Minneapolis — the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good — and argued those incidents underscored the need for new leadership at DHS. In her remarks, she blamed senior White House advisers for shaping the administration’s immigration policies.
“When we say it is time for Kristi Noem to go, we mean it now,” Omar added. “And there needs to be accountability for the architect of the terror we are facing in Minneapolis and so many other cities, which is Stephen Miller.”
Omar’s comments follow an appearance on MSNBC’s All In with Chris Hayes, where she reiterated those positions and broadened her critique to include senior administration officials. In that interview, she said Noem should resign or face impeachment, echoing earlier statements from House Democratic leadership. Omar also repeated criticism of Miller, a senior White House adviser on immigration policy, calling him a “copycat of the Nazis” and suggesting he should be prosecuted.
Her remarks also tied national Republican rhetoric on immigration to broader social tensions, asserting that aggressive enforcement language has “created anger” that can lead to confrontations with Somali immigrants and other community members in Minnesota.
Omar’s public criticism comes amid the ongoing federal immigration operation known as Operation Metro Surge. Federal agents have been deployed to Minneapolis to apprehend illegal immigrants with criminal convictions, drawing protests and heightened scrutiny from local officials and advocacy groups.
Democratic lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), have called for increased oversight of DHS and ICE policies as part of broader negotiations over long-term funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Jeffries has publicly stated that Noem should be impeached if she does not resign, and Schumer has called for additional conditions on immigration enforcement in appropriations legislation.
In response to increased political pressure, DHS has taken steps to increase transparency in its operations. Earlier this week, Secretary Kristi Noem announced that body-worn cameras will be issued to all federal immigration enforcement officers deployed in Minneapolis as an immediate measure, with plans to expand the program nationwide as funding becomes available. “Effective immediately we are deploying body cameras to every officer in the field in Minneapolis,” Noem wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Federal officials have said that some Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers present during the Jan. 24 shooting of Pretti were already equipped with body cameras, though full footage has not been released. Officials have not yet clarified whether ICE officers were wearing cameras during the earlier fatal encounter involving Good.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz responded to Noem’s announcement by saying body cameras should have been in place prior to the deaths of Pretti and Good, who were tragically killed while interfering with ICE law enforcement operations.
