NYC students to protest plan to end free rides

Students in 23 high schools in New York are planning to protest outside City Hall against plans to end free bus and subway rides to and from school.

The Urban Youth Collaborative, which is helping to organize the demonstration, said more than 2,000 students are expected to participate. The planned protest will occur just one day after New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced an initiative to combat chronic truancy. The two events are not related.

Students have been holding demonstrations supporting the free bus and subway rides since the Metropolitan Transportation Authority proposed phasing the program out late last year.

From the Wall Street Journal:

The MTA proposed ending the free fares in December after the state slashed its contribution to the program. Under a deal reached in the mid-1990s, the city and state contributed $45 million each. The city continued paying for its share of free rides, which the MTA says cost a total of $214 million.