Lawmakers blast MTA as it ends its fare-free bus pilot, citing boost in transit affordability

The MTA officially ended its fare-free bus pilot over the weekend, much to the chagrin of the state lawmakers who initiated it.

The yearlong pilot on five bus routes came to an unceremonious end on Sunday, Sept. 1, after state lawmakers declined to reauthorize it and the MTA deemed the experiment a dud. The MTA was allocated $15 million to conduct the experiment for up to a year.