By Ray Wiseley
The implementation of fare-free bus transit in Massachusetts is possible and can address long existing public health and transportation inequities. Public transit is a public good. Getting more people to use public transit is good for our environment and for reducing transportation emissions. Fare-free transit buses are a big part of the solution.
Fare free buses advance transit equity
Bus riders are more likely to be low-income. In a 2015-2017 Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) survey, the median household income of riders was reported to be ~$75,000 annually. Two-thirds of bus rider’s reported incomes below this amount. These individuals disproportionately bear the weight of paying fares. Many are dependent on public transit to reach work, school, or even the nearest grocery store. Fares stand in the way of allowing people to live full lives, free of the worry that they might not be able to buy a critically necessary ticket. People of color are additionally more likely to ride buses. Fare requirements increase the likelihood of racial profiling on buses for fare enforcement, damaging the health and safety of riders. Fare-free buses remove the possibility of fare-based profiling entirely, creating safer spaces. They allow everyone to travel without worry and save riders money that can be used to stimulate the economy in more effective ways.
Fare-free buses are faster as they allow for all-door boarding and spend less time idling between stops. The time spent lining up and paying fares, called ‘dwell time’, can compose as much as one third of bus travel time. Fare-free buses can cut these times in half to provide a smoother, quicker ride. Buses without fares will encourage more people to use transit and lower the environmental impact produced by individual cars. Currently, the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts. Personal vehicles are responsible for a majority of these emissions. When people are incentivized to choose public transit as an affordable, faster, and reliable option they are forgoing single rider vehicles. Even a bus at under 30% occupancy will produce a third less emissions than the average car.
Fare collection is costly and slows down transit service
Fare collection is a fairly minor source of income for the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and the MBTA. The total revenue from RTA bus fares comprise under 8% of total funds expended. For the MBTA, fares makeup under 2% of its annual operating and capital budget. The budget of these transit agencies are by no means dependent on their fares. In contrast, the operating cost for MBTA’s proposed new fare system is estimated at upwards of $33 million annually. This does not take into account the plan's exorbitant implementation costs, currently projected to be $930 million. Eliminating fees entirely has many advantages. It avoids higher strain on taxpayers and the furthering of a project that is over-budget. There are numerous options to fund fare-free buses in the long term including the Fair Share Amendment, increasing the gas tax, and estate tax. In the shorter term, the deficit can be comfortably filled by money allocated to transit agencies for Covid-19 relief measures.
There are numerous examples that support the implementation of fare-free bus programs. Several Massachusetts cities including Boston, Worcester, Lawrence, and Cape Cod have implemented fare-free pilots. These pilots were primarily pioneered towards increasing ridership and economic health. The results thus far speak to their effectiveness. Worcester’s program helped maintain its ridership at 65% of pre-Covid numbers, proportionately far higher than other RTAs and the MBTA. Lawrence ridership increased 25% during its fare-free trial period. These programs were found to help the most vulnerable members of communities and improve rider experiences.
When all the factors are taken into account, the elimination of fares is not only possible but recommended. It will go a long way to advance transit and climate justice. Now is the ideal time to implement new fare-free programs. Ridership levels have dropped significantly and remain low as a result of the pandemic. A fare-free bus pilot at this time would be the perfect opportunity to study the effects of this policy and organize for its continuation.
Ray Wiseley is a Sierra Club volunteer, environmental advocate, and optimist from Dorchester, MA.