Casting himself as the reality-based alternative to Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo said Thursday he would make subways and buses free for the poorest New Yorkers.

The policy — which he estimates will cost $140 million annually — amounted to a less ambitious version of Mamdani’s campaign platform of making buses free for all riders. In a twist, Cuomo described the Democratic mayoral candidate's free-bus plan as a giveaway for the rich.

“Why is government supposed to be subsidizing the rich?” Cuomo asked during a press conference in Midtown, where he delivered a PowerPoint presentation reminiscent of his daily briefings as governor during the pandemic.

Cuomo’s proposal is the latest in a series of ideas from mayoral candidates about improving the city’s transit system, a key concern for vot

See Full Page