The New Trend in Transit: $0 Transfer Fees

"[On April 17], DDOT and SMART took a positive step to simplify that process. The two transit providers have partnered to create Dart, a unified payment system that eliminates transfer fees in favor of a single purchase," reports Aaron Mondry for Curbed Detroit.

Meanwhile, in Philadelphia SEPTA riders aren't even changing bus systems, but they still have to pay a fee to transfer between lines. That could change if City Councilmember Helen Gym is successful in pushing the transit agency to eliminate the transfer fee, following the model of transit systems in New York City and Houston.

"But that is only if the agency can find another way to earn the $12 million in annual revenue that currently comes from transfer fees — and that’s a big if.  SEPTA can’t afford to lose any income, especially not at a time when state funding is hovering at record lows," writes Darryl C. Murphy in an article for PlanPhilly.