This summer, New York City and Boston are piloting zero-fare ridership on select public transit routes. Meanwhile, cities like Denver, Kansas City, and Raleigh are piloting programs to eliminate public transit fares altogether. It's something of a nationwide push, according to a recent CNN analysis.
Public transit usage has, unsurprisingly, plummeted in the wake of the pandemic and the increase in remote work. Ridership is still at about only 70% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the American Public Transit Association. Car traffic, perhaps correspondingly, has only gotten worse. The typical US driver spent about 51 hours in congested traffic in 2022, about 15 more hours than in 2021, according to mobility analytics firm Inrix (though these figures, too, remain below pre-pandemic norms).
Roughly 35 US transit agencies have already gone the zero-fare route, according to the APTA. In Boston, ridership on three reduced-fare bus routes increased 35% year-over-year. This summer, the city is eliminating fares on three routes, while New York will end fares across five bus routes.
Have more mobility news that we should be reading and sharing? Let us know! Reach out to Sage Kashner (kashner@ctaa.org).
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