Mayor Mamdani may not get his wrongheaded wish of making city buses free, but an agreement with Gov. Hochul promises that he and the city he leads will get something even better: improved and faster-moving buses, which will move New Yorkers around at above the glacial current 8 miles an hour that city buses average.

In the 51-page report issued under the aegis of the mayor, governor and MTA, the word “fare” doesn’t appear once and “free” only shows up a single time: “Without obstructions, buses are free to keep moving.” That is something worth doing that won’t slam the MTA’s budget by eliminating the farebox.

Just as it owns the subway system, the city also owns the bus fleet, but both networks are run by the MTA. But the city does control the streets and so by working together, City Hall and the MTA can make buses........

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