Should the bus be free? That’s the question everyone following the New York City mayoral race is asking, with Democratic primary winner Zohran Mamdani promising to focus on fast, free buses if he’s elected to City Hall. Eliminating bus fares is a big idea, but is it a good one? Like a lot of things in politics, there’s no simple answer. That’s why we asked Yonah Freemark — a researcher in cities, land use, and transportation at the Urban Institute — to walk us through the pros and cons of making the bus free for everyone. Whatever you think about it, the good news is that everyone is talking about bus riders. That’s a win in our book. and receive exclusive access to ad-free versions of regular episodes, Patreon-only bonus content, Discord access, invitations to live events, merch discounts and free stickers! ***Our new book, , will be published on October 21, 2025 by Thesis, an imprint of Penguin Random House. .*** Purchase tickets for our publication party and live show at . And find us in other cities for our book tour including , , , and more. The War on Cars is produced with the generous support of the Helen & William Mazer Foundation. This episode was sponsored by and . Listen for the latest discount codes. Check out . (She designed our logo!) SHOW NOTES Learn more about and his work at the . Watch Zohran Mamdani on .  Charlie Komanoff: Free buses would mean faster buses and more riders. () Andrew Cuomo has a less ambitious free bus plan. () Boston has free buses on three routes. () New York’s free bus pilot. () This episode was recorded at the .