Riders Alliance Endorses Zohran Mamdani for Mayor!
This spring, Riders Alliance launched a political arm to amplify rider voices — not just in the halls of power where elected leaders define our future but at the ballot boxes where we decide who represents us. Now, riders are an even more powerful constituency. We’re better positioned to win bigger and hold elected leaders accountable to the commitments they make to us.
This year’s mayoral election has energized and inspired so many new voters, moved by the prospect of a more affordable city and a new political paradigm that centers the needs of everyday people over business-as-usual politics. For the first time, a leading candidate has put better buses at the center of his vision for a more affordable, inclusive city, addressing the urgent need to save riders’ valuable time and money each day.
We already know that when New York’s millions of bus and subway riders organize, we’re powerful enough to win real, impactful progress. But when we vote, we’re unstoppable. That’s why we’re proud to endorse Assemblymember Zohran K. Mamdani for NYC Mayor – our first-ever endorsement of a candidate for office.
Every New Yorker, regardless of zip code or income, has a stake in public transit. It’s the great connector we all share, and the great divider when it fails us. Investing in a system that works for everyone is the kind of unifying, future-facing mission our city desperately needs. Zohran understands that. It’s where Zohran’s vision, and his record, are clearest. He hasn’t just shown up for transit—he’s delivered.
At Riders Alliance, we’ve seen Zohran’s leadership and commitment to better public transit up close. Three years ago, as the MTA faced a devastating budget hole coming out of the pandemic, Zohran approached us with a pitch: let’s work together on a bold, rider-led campaign to fix public transit. We met an incredibly well-versed, ambitious, and highly organized kindred spirit, and together, we won a budget that funded public transit, curbed an upcoming fare hike, increased subway frequency on 14 lines, piloted free bus service on five routes, and expanded automated bus lane enforcement to unclog the nation’s slowest buses.
Now, as the Democratic nominee for Mayor, Zohran’s commitment to bringing fast and free bus service to every borough as a cornerstone of his campaign further demonstrates the bold, forward-thinking leadership we’ve come to expect from him.
Whether we’re rallying, testifying, canvassing, calling, emailing, or voting, our power as riders becomes material when we stand together. From now until election day, we’re organizing together as Bus Riders for Zohran to elect a Mayor we can count on to deliver fast, reliable, affordable, accessible transit for every New Yorker– and we need YOU!