Episode 479: Free Buses Won’t Make NYC More Affordable. New Trains Would.
Feb 18, 2026•51 min
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Summary
Dr. Eric Goldwyn discusses NYU's "A Better Billion" report, proposing 41 new miles of subway rail and 64 stations for NYC. He contends this expansion, costing similarly to free buses, would be truly transformative by spurring housing development and tackling affordability. The episode explores historical precedents of subway-led growth, political challenges, the high costs of construction, and the critical need for an ambitious urban planning vision.Episode description
Eric Goldwyn, an author of the new A Better Billion report from the Marron Institute of Urban Management at New York University, joins Lit NYC to explain its modest proposal to remap the city with 12 new projects, 64 new subways stations and 41 new miles of rail — all for about the same cost as making buses free.
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