Mayor Zohran Mamdani rode into City Hall promising to make the buses free. The Citizens Budget Commission says he should push for more fare discounts for the subways instead.

New Yorkers are eligible for a Fair Fares discount if their household makes no more than 150% of the federal poverty line — or $22,600 a year for a single person. The CBC argued that raising the threshold to 250% of the poverty line, or $39,900 for a one-person household, would do more to help the poor than making the buses free. The nonprofit estimated increasing the income limit would cost taxpayers $232 million a year, up from the $86 million the program currently spends annually.