Free Fare
Free Bus Fare Pilot Boosts Ridership in Twin Cities
The free fare pilot program is only partially complete, but even if it is deemed “successful,” it is unclear how — or if — Metro Transit plans to adopt free fare policies for the long term.
New York MTA Makes Five Bus Routes Fare-Free
The state-funded effort is a way to assess how free fares impact ridership.
Free Transit Is Not a Silver Bullet
Cities around the country are embracing free fares to lure riders back to public transit, but the ridership recovery continues to sputter.
How Free Fares Could Benefit Bus Drivers
Free transit would reduce boarding times and improve working conditions for bus drivers, the 'frontline workers' responsible for fare collection and enforcement.
Opinion: Give Students Free SEPTA Rides All Week Long
Philadelphia's student passes cut off at 8 p.m. and don't include weekends, but expanding the free fare program could help SEPTA rebuild ridership and create lifelong transit users.
Opinion: Transit Needs to Be Better, Not Cheaper
With many U.S. transit agencies facing severe gaps in service and budget shortfalls, some advocates argue that improved service matters more than free fares.
Can L.A. Metro Fund its Fareless Transit Pilot?
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors has approved a program that would eliminate fares for students and low-income riders, but the program's future rests on finding sustainable funding sources.
Free Transit Under Consideration in Kansas City
The idea of free transit is sold as a benefit to the environment and the city's most vulnerable residents in this editorial by the Kansas City Star.
Tampa Streetcar Sees Big Boost in Ridership
Free fares and more frequent service have resulted in a huge increase in ridership on the TECO Line Streetcar and proved skeptics wrong.
Transit Rides Now Free for Kids in Austin
Capital Metro is growing a new generation of public transit riders.
Houston Looks At Reshaping Transit
Houston Mayor Annise Parker is considering a big shake-up of the city's public transportation, including the option of transitioning to a fare-free system.
Australian Province Considers Free Transit
The government of New South Wales is considering a plan to remove fares for public transit.
Free Pancakes, Free Rides, and (Almost) Free Beer
We Americans love a discount. Wal-Mart and the discount retail boom are proof enough of that. What we love even more, though, is free stuff. Just slap the word "free" before almost anything and we'll line up. This mentality represents some challenges for cities, but also some opportunities. The challenge is that if people don't have to pay for something, they probably won't. And the opportunity is that if people don't have to pay for something, they're way more likely to want it. Let's think of this concept in terms of three innately American traditions: pancakes, mobility, and beer.
Free Bus Idea Fizzles in Eugene
A proposal to make Eugene, Oregon's bus system fare-free has been voted down by the regional transit district.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
