Transit Fares

Manhattan Bus

Fair Fares Program Criticized for Eligibility Threshold

Critics of the city's transit assistance program say limiting eligibility to people living at or below the federal poverty line excludes many low-income New Yorkers who depend on public transit.

February 24, 2022 - NY City Lens

New York City Subway

New York MTA to Cap Weekly Transit Fares

Public transit agencies are getting creative in the effort to bring riders back to buses and trains.

December 15, 2021 - The New York Times

Chicago Bus

Chicago Transit Authority Hopes to Entice Riders With Cheaper Fares

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in October proposed a $1.75 billion operating budget that will make it cheaper to ride transit in the Windy City.

October 31, 2021 - Chicago Transit Authority

ABQ Ride stop

Transit Goes Fare-Free for One Year in Albuquerque

Albuquerque will become one of the largest cities in the nation to launch a fare-free pilot program for transit riders.

September 23, 2021 - Albuquerque Journal

Inside Washington DC Union Station

D.C. Transit Implementing Major Changes, Hopes to Boost Ridership

Flat fares, reduced wait times, and extended late-night service are all part of a package of changes meant to bring riders back and adjust to post-pandemic travel patterns.

August 25, 2021 - Governing

Bus Station

Free Transit for Three Years in Charlottesville

Federal stimulus spending will enable the Charlottesville Area Transit to operate without fares for three years. The agency is also considering a plan to make the fare-free service permanent.

April 5, 2021 - The Daily Progress

Boston Subway T

Boston to Pilot Free Transit Passes for Workers in Commercial Districts

The city of Boston will undertake an experiment about how to center public transit as an economic recovery tool.

April 1, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Central Ohio Transit Authority

Free Transit Pass Program Extended in Columbus

According to Columbus officials, transit ridership to and from downtown doubled in the years since the city implemented a free transit pass program.

November 19, 2020 - Intelligent Transport

Parking Meter Fail

Transit Passes Are Way, Way More Expensive Than Street Parking Permits

Some might call it call it asphalt socialism, but public subsidies tend to only go one way in the United States: toward the car.

October 4, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

Metro Paris

Students Under 18 Ride for Free on Paris Buses and Trains

The city of Paris is taking another step to entice more people out of cars and onto transit.

September 7, 2020 - Bloomberg CityLab

D.C. Metro System

Smartphone Fare Cards Now Available for D.C. Metro

The future is now.

September 3, 2020 - DCist

Subway Turnstiles

'Freedom to Move Act' Would Provide Federal Support for Free Transit Programs

New legislation by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) would also target fare enforcement on the nation's transit systems.

July 6, 2020 - Curbed

nyc. subway.

Annual Transit Shortfall Estimated at $26 Billion-$38 Billion

The realities of the coronavirus are most obvious in the declining ridership, and revenues, on public transit in the United States, but it's not enough to shut down public transit when so many people depend on safe, healthy service.

March 23, 2020 - TransitCenter

Rock Island Line

Opinion: Improved Commuter Rail Services Would Better Serve Chicago’s South Side Residents

The city’s South Side residents need more transit options, but an extension of the Chicago Transit Authority’s Red Line would be a costly and less effective alternative.

February 23, 2020 - Chicago Tribune

Miami-Dade Transit

Miami-Dade County Could Be Next on the Fare-Free Bus

A county commissioner is asking for a study of fare-free transit programs in Kansas City and Salt Lake City to inform the potential implementation fo a similar program in the South Florida county.

December 19, 2019 - Miami Today

Kansas City Streetcar

Zero Fare Transit Approved in Kansas City, Missouri

While the details of funding are undetermined, Kansas City, Missouri took a monumental step in the history of U.S. public transit yesterday.

December 6, 2019 - KSHB

D.C. Metro System

Penalty for Paying Cash for Transit Fare Fails the Equity Test

A proposal to charge riders who pay fare in cash an extra 25 cents faces criticism.

November 20, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Chicago El

Advocating for Reduced Transit Fairs for Low-Income Riders in Chicago

A new report by the Active Transportation Alliance builds the case for reduced transit fares on all three transit systems in the Chicago region.

November 19, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Kansas Transportation

Free Transit Under Consideration in Kansas City

The idea of free transit is sold as a benefit to the environment and the city's most vulnerable residents in this editorial by the Kansas City Star.

November 12, 2019 - Kansas City Star

Metro Twin Cities

Two Years In, a Look at the Twin Cities Fare Discount Program

In 2017, Metro Transit in the Twin Cities raised fares but also started a program for low-income riders to help ease the burden of travel costs.

November 8, 2019 - Pioneer Press

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