As we head into the 2025 mayoral primary season, riders got a chance to hear directly from six candidates about their plans to protect, improve, and expand our mass transit system if elected mayor.

Moderated by Gothamist and WNYC reporter Liz Kim, candidates Brad Lander, Zohran Mamdani, Zellnor Myrie, Jessica Ramos, Scott Stringer, and Jim Walden joined our mayoral forum at BRIC on Monday, December 2, where they answered a slate of questions from Riders Alliance members on topics including transit affordability, subway safety, new bus lanes, and accessibility at our 2025 Transit Riders Mayoral Forum.

Here’s a recap of the candidates had to say:

Question 1: Congestion Pricing

As congestion pricing is implemented, what role would you play as mayor in ensuring the success of the program?

Question 2: Transit Affordability

Do you support expanding the Fair Fares program? And what is your long-term vision for delivering a public transit system that all New Yorkers can more easily afford?

Question 3: Improving Bus Service

Mayor Adams has been violating the NYC Streets Plan mandate to build new bus lanes in every year of his administration. How would your administration make up for lost time and speed up buses?

Question 4: Opposition to Transit Improvements

As Mayor, how would you prioritize the needs of bus riders to have faster commutes and better access to our city in the face of so-called “community interests” that have large pocketbooks and outsized influence?

Question 5: Subway Safety

What would be your priorities in addressing concerns around the perceptions and realities of keeping our subway safe, and what role should the NYPD play?

Question 6: Fare Evasion

How do you perceive the City’s role in fare enforcement on buses and subways? Are there things you would change from the current approach, which has been similar over multiple administrations?

Question 7: Accessibility

What is your vision for making our subway and buses more accessible for riders? Do you support spending City capital money on MTA accessibility projects? What other opportunities do you see?

Riders’ Verdict:

Riders who attended the forum in person were asked to reflect on what what they heard from each of the candidates. We received 70 written responses, where riders stressed the importance of improving bus service through the expansion and better enforcement of bus lanes, more reliable and affordable public transit, and holding MTA accountable to investing in projects that transit riders need most as key roles for our next Mayor. While our forum didn’t cover these issues, riders were most curious to hear more from the candidates about how they would expand bike lanes and keep pedestrians safer on our city streets.

Riders also ranked candidates in order of who they believed had the most compelling and actionable vision for improving transit as Mayor, as well as scoring their individual performance on each topic. The results are below:

Recap: 2025 Transit Riders Mayoral Forum