Rhode Island Ends Free Transit Program

“The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority says it will extend a yearlong pilot program offering free bus service on one of its major routes for another month, but plans to discontinue the free rides in September,” according to an article by Christian Wade in The Center Square.

Wade explains, “the transit agency said the pilot program cost ‘exceeded’ the funding made available by the Legislature,” which allocated $2.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to the program. “Ridership on the R-Line, which is the most used bus route in Rhode Island, increased 40% from last year during a fare-free pilot program, according to a report released by the agency earlier this year.” Meanwhile, the agency faces a projected $40 million deficit in the next fiscal year. 

The movement to make public transit free gained steam during the pandemic, when agencies sought to bring back riders and eliminate contact points to encourage social distancing. “To date, at least 35 public transportation agencies have eliminated or reduced fares on their networks of trains, buses and subways, according to the American Public Transit Association.” However, advocates also point out that for transit-dependent riders, frequency and reliability often trump cost as the most important aspects of transit.

A bill introduced in Congress would distribute $25 billion to fare-free transit efforts. “In Congress, a group of Democratic lawmakers have reintroduced a bill that, if enacted, would provide $25 billion to states and transit agencies to support fare-free public transportation.”