cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/43191242
Feb. 13, 2026
Free buses? Really? Of all the promises that Zohran Mamdani made during his New York City mayoral campaign, that one struck some skeptics as the most frivolous leftist fantasy. Unlike housing, groceries and child care, which weigh heavily on New Yorkers’ finances, a bus ride is just a few bucks. Is it really worth the huge effort to spare people that tiny outlay?
It is. Far beyond just saving riders money, free buses deliver a cascade of benefits, from easing traffic to promoting public safety. Just look at Boston; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Richmond, Va.; Kansas City, Mo.; and even New York itself, all of which have tried it to excellent effect. And it doesn’t have to be costly — in fact, it can come out just about even.
If free buses strike you as wasteful, you’re not alone. Plenty of the beneficiaries would be people who can afford to pay. Does it make sense to give them a freebie? Yes, if it improves the life of the city, just as free parks, libraries and public schools do. Don’t think of it as a giveaway to the undeserving. Think of it as a gift to all New Yorkers in every community. We deserve it.
Walking? Didn‘t know thats possible in the US!
Depends on where you are. Houston? Good luck lol. But NYC, DC, Portland, Seattle, and others are fine for walking in the city. The problem is either weather (DC is fucking miserable to walk in in the summer 30+°C and 100% humidity) or you hit a point outside the city where it turns to stroads. Also if you aren’t used to walking much it’ll wreck you.
A trip to DC when I was a young adult changed my view on urbanism and my own health by making me walk and take the train everywhere and demonstrating how out of shape I was
I mean most of the US apart from big cities. Like everywhere else where you have to take a fucking car or taxi to get from your neighboorhood to the super market.
Most of the US is in big cities though, it’s like 70% of the population now.
My very limited experience says that it’s possible but risky and unpleasant. NYC is probably a bit different, as is always the case in the U.S.
Walking works quite well in Sweden however