Without other dedicated funding sources, U.S. transit agencies likely can’t sustain fare-free programs.
As federal funds that supported some pandemic-era free transit programs wind down, transit agencies must evaluate the effectiveness and sustainability of free fare programs. As Tim Henderson explains in Stateline, free transit rides can be an important lifeline for low-income workers who depend on transit to get to work and access other needs.
Critics of free transit question the effectiveness of making transit free for all riders, including high-income users who could afford to pay fares. Free transit programs may make less sense in cities with more affluent commuters, according to Brian Taylor, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles and director of the university’s Institute of Transportation Studies. But in many places, transit riders are overwhelmingly lower-income. Proponents of free transit also argue that eliminating fare collection and enforcement would lower operational costs, making up for lost revenue.
To make free transit sustainable without sacrificing service, agencies will have to find other dedicated sources of funding to replace fare revenue.
FULL STORY: No fare! Free bus rides raise questions of fairness, viability.
Massachusetts Extends Free Transit Through June 2025
Gov. Healey announced a $30 million extension to new and existing free fare programs at 13 public transit agencies.
Complicating the Free Transit Vs. Service Debate
Pitting Washington, D.C.’s K Street Transitway against free transit oversimplifies a more complex issue.
Opinion: Improving Transit More Important Than Free Fares
More investments in high-quality transit service coupled with income-based discounts could offer a better way to boost ridership and help low-income riders.
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
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Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
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Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
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Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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