MTA to Launch Fare-Free Pilot Program on Select NYC Bus Routes
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced that it will eliminate fares on five bus routes in New York City by September 24. The routes include the B60 in Brooklyn, the M116 in Manhattan, the Q4 LCL/LTD in southeast Queens, the S46/96 in Staten Island, and the BX18 A/B in the western Bronx. The fare-free program, mandated by the state, aims to make mass transit more accessible for low-income New Yorkers. The routes will run as a pilot program for at least six months but no longer than a year, and buses will be branded with "Fare Free" signs.