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. June 9, 2021, 5am PDT | Diana Ionescu |
Despite a growing movement to make public transit fare-free, Henry Grabar argues in a piece for Slate that getting rid of fares would not help the poorest and most underserved transit riders. Jarrett Walker, a Portland-based transit planner and author of
Human Transit, agrees. I’ve heard people describe the free fare movement as being a movement for free, terrible service, and that’s how the trade-off ends up working if you expect this to happen inside the budget of an impoverished American transit agency. While research shows that low-income riders do use transit more when offered discounts, they also overwhelmingly said reliability was a bigger concern than affordability.
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.
L.A. Metro Will Pilot Free Fares for Most Riders
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will let low-income residents and K-12 students ride for free starting in January 2022. March 4, 2021, 8am PST | Diana Ionescu |
In an attempt to study the potential for switching to a fare-free system, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is implementing a two-phase pilot program that will let low-income riders ride for free. Ryan Fonseca reports on the plan, which is projected to save commuters up to $1,200 per year. According to Metro, about 70% of its current riders earn less than $35,000 annually and would qualify for free fares under the current proposal. The second phase of the proposed program, set to launch in August 2022, would extend free fares to K-12 students. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti praised the proposal, saying it s time for us to treat public transit as a public good.