Albuquerque Could Extend Free Transit Pilot

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.