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Zohran Mamdani: “We made five bus routes free in New York City.”

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

Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In

Published December 16, 2025 | Video Starts at 42:01

We did this at the state legislature. I've been a state assembly member for a few years. Yeah. And I worked with Mike Gianaras, a state senator. We made five bus routes free in New York City. When we made those bus routes free. After a year, assaults on bus drivers dropped by 38.9% on the bus drivers. (42:01–42:04)

CLAIM

Asserts that five bus routes were made free in New York City.

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Zohran Mamdani

“City of eight and a half million people, about two and a half million live in housing called rent stabilized.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 26:55-27:01
“We have seen this board raise the rent like it has under Eric Adams, more than 12%.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 27:29-27:35
“These are the slowest buses in America.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 41:11-41:14
“We're talking about an average speed in certain parts of Manhattan around five miles an hour.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 41:18-41:25
“It costs $2.90 [to ride the bus]. That is out of reach for one in five New Yorkers.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 41:34-41:40
“After a year, assaults on bus drivers dropped by 38.9% on the bus drivers.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 42:06-42:12
“Bus drivers and unions have shared anecdotally that about 50% of assaults happen around the farebox.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 42:20-42:30
“In Boston, you cut the dwell time by 23% [by making buses free].”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 43:31-43:34
“The average salary of a bus rider is around $30,000 a year.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 44:10-44:15
“The MTA, by last estimate, when they were testifying at the state, they said about 40% of eligible New Yorkers are enrolled [in Fair Fares].”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 46:11-46:20
“The average cost of childcare in New York City for one child is $22,500.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 49:31-49:37
“It is cheaper to send that same child 18 years later to the City University of New York than it is to find childcare for them.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 49:42-49:50
“In 2022, we lost $23 billion in economic activity because of the absence of universal child care.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 50:02-50:11
“Child care workers cannot live off of the average salary at a home based setting of $10 an hour.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 50:25-50:31
“80% of New Yorkers with children under five cannot afford childcare.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 53:09-53:14
“Right now is the time where we are vetting applicants who are making hiring decisions.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 15:48-15:55
“We want to make the decisions and the appointments in advance of January 1st.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 16:11-16:15
“So far, we have made a few decisions of first deputy mayor, you know, chief of staff, police commissioner.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 16:18-16:27
“He transformed the culture of the Office of Management and Budget from a culture of no to a culture of how.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 18:25-18:34
“You want to deliver universal childcare, you want to make buses fast and free.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 18:40-18:44
“It's not enough in a city where one in four people live in poverty.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 19:42-19:45
“It seems like Republicans have a limitless imagination.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 20:49-20:53
“As Democrats, we're constructing an ever lowering ceiling of possibility.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 20:53-20:58
“We built a campaign around three policy commitments: freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants, making the slowest buses in America fast…”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 25:00-25:08
“Making the slowest buses in America fast and free.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 25:02-25:06
“Delivering universal childcare.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 25:05-25:08
“Freezing the rent for rent-stabilized tenants.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 26:52-26:55
“Rent stabilized basically applies to half of all tenants in New York City.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 27:10-27:14
“Their rent, whether it will increase or stay the same, is determined by a board called the Rent Guidelines Board.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 27:14-27:21
“The board is composed of nine appointees, all of whom are appointed by the mayor.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 27:21-27:26
“Making buses fast and free, delivering universal childcare, these are things that have to be done in partnership with Albany state…”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 28:02-28:09
“The city is effectively a creature of the state, especially after the 1970s fiscal crisis.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 28:22-28:28
“One of the most impressive achievements in city politics in the last few decades was the creation of universal pre-k.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 28:27-28:35
“Mayor de Blasio, who ran on [universal pre-k] as part of his agenda, needed Albany to get it done.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 28:38-28:45
“More than a million New Yorkers ride the bus.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 41:32-41:34
“More than 10% of the new riders on these five bus routes were otherwise going to use private [transportation].”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 43:06-43:11
“There already exists a program in New York City called Fair Fares.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 46:03-46:07
“The most significant increase in riders was among New Yorkers making $28,000 a year or less.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 47:09-47:15
“Less than 20% of them [New Yorkers making $28,000 or less] were enrolled in [Fair Fares] program.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 47:19-47:19
“Companies are having to provide a service that should be provided by the city and the state.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 49:06-49:11
“After housing, the number one thing driving people out of this city, [is] childcare.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 50:15-50:15
“We have Universal Pre K. We have 3k in New York City, but it is broken.”
Zohran Mamdani: New York's New Mayor Pops In | Uploaded December 16, 2025 | 52:50-52:55