More major cities in the United States are allowing public transport passengers to board for free.
Kansas City; Raleigh; Richmond; Olympia; Tucson; Alexandria, Virginia; and other cities are testing the elimination of fares in their public transport systems. Denver is canceling fares in its system this summer. Boston is testing three public bus routes with zero fare, and New York City is expected to test free buses on five lines.
Authorities believe that eliminating fares will increase the number of passengers, particularly low-income passengers, and reduce boarding time at stops. Proponents also hope this will encourage more people to leave their cars in the garage and use public transport.
However, many transit researchers say that removing fares does not address the poor state of transit systems across the country and diverts scarce resources from more pressing priorities. For example, eliminating fares does not make buses arrive on time or trains faster and cleaner. These are the improvements that will make more people use public transport instead of driving, according to passenger surveys.
The TransitCenter, an advocacy group, found in a 2018 survey of passengers with household incomes below $35,000 in eight major cities that frequency, safety, crowding, and reliability were more important than the bus fare.Free Experiments
The first free public transport program in the United States began in the 1970s, but the concept has gained momentum in recent years as urban areas seek mass transit as an option to reduce carbon emissions and decrease traffic.
The move towards free fares expanded at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, aided by nearly $70 billion in federal funding.
At least 35 agencies in the U.S. have eliminated fares in their networks, according to the American Public Transit Association. Massachusetts Senator Edward Markey and U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley introduced a bill in Congress to establish a $25 billion grant program to support state and local efforts for fare-free systems.
The push for zero fare comes as the number of passengers nationwide remains low after people began working from home during the pandemic. Passenger numbers are at about 70% of pre-pandemic levels nationwide, and budget deficits at transit agencies threaten service cuts, layoffs, and fare increases.
In Boston, the number of passengers on the three routes that eliminated fares grew by 35% from 2021 to 2022, while the number of passengers on the rest of the bus system grew by 15%. According to passenger surveys, 26% of passengers along the free routes saved more than $20 a month.Replacing Fares
Advocates for fare-free transit say that transit agencies should reduce their reliance on fare collections, which fluctuate and represent a financial burden for low-income passengers.
But fares are a critical source of funding for transit agencies, and they need to make up for lost revenue elsewhere.
Fares accounted for an average of 12.5% of public transit agencies’ operating expenses in 2021, down from 31.4% in 2019, according to the American Public Transit Association. This varies among agencies and types of transport: larger, more expensive systems rely more on fares for funding, while smaller agencies rely less on fares.
About two-thirds of transit agencies’ revenue comes from government sources. Of that total, state and local governments provide more than three-quarters. And the federal government spends much more on roads than on public transport: 80% of the federal gasoline tax, which helps fund infrastructure projects, is dedicated to roads. Twenty percent goes to transit.
But some argue that getting rid of fares across the transit system also benefits higher-income people who can afford to pay fares and can provide the necessary revenue for agencies.
Based on experiences in European cities, offering free public transport did not attract large volumes of drivers; rather, it attracted people who would otherwise have walked or biked, as well as additional trips from people who were already public transport users.Source: CNN