City councilors say data from a fare-free pilot program validates the economic and social benefits of free transit.
The Albuquerque city council will consider an ordinance that would make free transit permanent in the New Mexico city, reports Jessica Barron for KRQE News. The proposal comes after a year-long pilot program that, according to Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, “proves having free transit is necessary.”
“According to the bill, the pilot program focused on three key points of the Zero-Fare Program including operational expenses, ridership demographics, and security and cleanliness. It found that 88% of riders had household incomes less than $35,000 per year and 89% of riders didn’t have cars or access to other transportation.”
The report adds that reinstituting paid fares would cost the department roughly $1.8 million, which could be more than fare revenue would bring in.
FULL STORY: Proposed ordinance could make free transit permanent in Albuquerque
Albuquerque Remains Committed to Free Transit
Ridership on the city’s transit system has gone up by 20 percent since they eliminated bus fares in 2022.
OKC streetcar will stay fare-free after ridership shot up 74%
The downtown streetcar saw a surge in ridership after it eliminated fares in January.
LA mayor wants to make transit fare-free
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass says she wants to develop a long-term strategy to make Metro free during her term as chair of the Metro board of directors.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association