Free Transit
Basics
Update: Philadelphia Did NOT Eliminate America’s Best Free Transit Program!
The City of Brotherly Love has been giving free rides of tens of thousands of low-income residents — but the money might be about to dry up.
April 9, 2025
Central Virginia Bus Riders Reap Benefits of Zero Fare and New Services
"We see the benefit [of fare-free transit], but also the financial necessity that bus riders are having and experiencing because we know that rent is up, the cost of groceries is up. But what hasn’t gone up is people’s incomes. And so this is a backdoor boost in wages.”
July 9, 2024
One In Four Virginia Transit Agencies Operate Fare-Free; Should Others Follow Their Lead?
“Every mode of transportation is subsidized; the question is how much."
January 18, 2024
After Albuquerque Victory, Advocates Want To Take Fare-Free Transit Statewide
Duke City is the latest to get on board the free transit bandwagon — and they say the rest of the state is primed to follow.
November 21, 2023
Philly Gives City Workers Free Transit. Can Other Cities Follow?
It's sure to be a boon for SEPTA, the environment, and city employees’ quality of life, but can it be a model for other cities?
September 7, 2023
D.C.’s ‘Free Fares Vs. Good Service’ Debate Isn’t What You Think
In the end, the nation's capital may not get either.
May 11, 2023
DC May Soon Give Every Resident $100 Per Month For Transit, Improve Service
DC Council took a step toward putting $100 per month on District residents’ SmarTrip cards Monday as the Committee on Transportation and the Environment voted unanimously in favor of the Metro for DC Amendment Act of 2021.
October 3, 2022
What If All Your Shared Transportation Trips Were Free For A Year?
An innovative new pilot will give Pittsburgh residents free rides on all the shared transportation networks their city has to offer — and, possibly for the first time in the history of "universal basic mobility" pilots, they'll be able to access them all on a single platform.
August 30, 2022
Why Arguments Against ‘Free Transit’ Are Missing the Point
Free transit pilots are popping up around the world as the pandemic rages on — and so are heated debates about whether they'll stymie agencies' efforts to delivery the high-quality service that U.S. riders need. But what if those arguments are missing something fundamental about why we commodify basic mobility in the first place, and the many ways marginalized people are impacted when they can't afford a fare?
August 23, 2022
Op-Ed: Why Decarceration Must Be A Part of Transportation Reform
Transit agencies can move from a policing model that seeks to detain, arrest, and imprison people to a system that carefully considers accessibility, affordability, mental health, public health, reentry, safety, and healing. Here's how.
June 15, 2022
