Stiff penalties for transit fare evasion have come under fire as a tool of discrimination, and cities have taken notice.
Washington, D.C. is the latest in a growing collection of local governments to decriminalize fare evasion, according to an article by Daniel C. Vock.
Fare enforcement on public transit is often portrayed as a crackdown on criminals. But that's not the way cities approach other, similar infractions, such as drivers who fail to pay tolls, notes Jon Orcutt, a spokesman for Transit Center, a New York-based advocacy group that supports lower penalties for fare evasion. The goal of toll road enforcement is simply to make sure drivers pay, not to arrest them.
Cities like New York, San Francisco, and Portland have taken up the issue. Orcutt predicts the issue will continue to boil up in other cities around the United States.
FULL STORY: Citing Racial Disparities, Cities Rethink Punishment for Transit Fare Evasion
One Step Closer to Decriminalizing Fare Evasion in D.C.
The D.C. Council voted, 11-2, to decriminalize fare evasion on the D.C. Metro transit system. The council will have to vote one more time to confirm the new policy.
New York State Budget Includes $68B MTA Capital Plan, Boosts Transit Security
The state’s FY26 budget includes increased investment in transit security, mental health services, and fare evasion enforcement.
Crime Continues to Drop on Philly, San Francisco Transit Systems
SEPTA and BART both saw significant declines in violent crime in the first quarter of 2025.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
US Senate Reverses California EV Mandate
The state planned to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, a goal some carmakers deemed impossible to meet.
Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency
The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.
Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law
Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions