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Zohran Mamdani: “In New York City, we have one free bus, the Q70 in Queens.”

Featuring: Zohran Mamdani, Democratic | Mayor of New York City

Up Close with Bill Ritter: One-on-one with NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani | Full Interview

Published January 17, 2026 | Video Starts at 05:35

I continue to believe in the importance of making buses free, and that's something that we will deliver by the time that I'm done being the mayor. And I can tell you right now, In New York City, we have one free bus, the Q70 in Queens. And I rode it the other day and I met New Yorkers for whom it made such a difference that at the time they weren't having to pay 290. (05:35–05:39)

CLAIM

Asserts that the Q70 bus in Queens is currently free.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

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Zohran Mamdani

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“The City sends about 54.5% of tax revenue to the state. It receives 40.5% from the state.”
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“We were able to secure this partnership with Governor Hochul on delivering universal childcare within the first two weeks of our…”
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“We can deliver universal childcare for three year olds and start to do it for two year olds.”
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“New Yorkers, when they're choosing to start a family, they're having to make the choice between doing that and staying in the city because…”
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“There are a lot of New Yorkers who would like to return to the workforce or join the workforce, but the cost of childcare for them to do so…”
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“We are inheriting an administration of fiscal mismanagement from the prior admin as well as former Governor Cuomo's decades long attack on…”
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“We have to raise revenue. We have to tax the wealthiest New Yorkers, the most profitable corporations, and that we have to change the city's…”
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“It's about fulfilling the promise to freezing the rent for rent stabilized tenants.”
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“The Rent Guidelines Board froze the rent three times [two mayors ago].”
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“The average profits of the landlords of those units, 12%.”
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“We've said we're going to build 200,000 truly affordable homes over the next 10 years.”
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“We do believe the state environmental review period should be shortened.”
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“We rescinded every single executive order the mayor had, the previous mayor had issued after being indicted.”
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“I made clear on my first day a direction to my police commissioner and my law department to review the legality of proposals, just like…”
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“ICE raids are cruel and inhumane and they do nothing to actually serve the interests of public safety.”
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“What these sanctuary city policies do is they say that ICE agents can't enter into a school or a city property without a judicial warrant…”
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