This story was originally published on Truthout on Dec. 01, 2025. It is shared here under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. During the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated economic downturn, many people couldn’t pay their transportation costs, and often didn’t. In New York City in 2021, some 21 percent of bus riders did not pay the fare, a figure that grew to 48 percent in 2024. Some local governments, including New York City, responded with reduced or free fare programs.