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In 2020, Luxembourg became the first country to provide free public transport across its entire territory.[1]

Free public transport, often called fare-free public transit or zero-fare public transport, is public transport which is fully funded by means other than collecting fares from passengers. It may be funded by national, regional or local government through taxation, and/or by commercial sponsorship by businesses. Alternatively, the concept of "free-ness" may take other forms, such as no-fare access via a card which may or may not be paid for in its entirety by the user.

On 29 February 2020, Luxembourg became the first country in the world to make all public transport in the country (buses, trams, and trains) free to use.[2][3][4][5] On 1 October 2022, Malta made its public transport free on most routes, though unlike in Luxembourg, this applies only to residents.[6]

As some transit lines intended to operate with fares initially start service, the organisation may elect not to collect fares for an introductory period to create interest or to test operations.

Types

City-wide systems

Tallinn's residents voted for free public transportation on 24 March 2012. This polling place was in a historic tramway Gotha G4-61

Several mid-size European cities and many smaller towns around the world have converted their public transportation networks to zero-fare. The city of Hasselt in Belgium is a notable example: fares were abolished in 1997 and ridership was as much as "13 times higher" by 2006.[7] Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia with more than 420,000 inhabitants, switched to free public transport in 2013 after a public vote.[8]

In the U.S. state of Washington, 14 rural transit systems have adopted zero-fare policies, either permanently or through pilots in the 2020s.[9] Fares for passengers aged 18 and younger have been free on most local and inter-city transit systems in the state since September 2022. The program was part of a larger statewide transportation package and also includes inter-city Amtrak trains operated by the state, as well as the Washington State Ferries system.[10]

Local services

See also: List of free public transport routes

Local zero-fare shuttles or inner-city loops are far more common than citywide systems. They often use buses or trams. These may be set up by a city government to ease bottlenecks or fill short gaps in the transport network.

Zero-fare transport is often operated as part of the services offered within a public facility, such as a hospital or university campus shuttle or an airport inter-terminal shuttle.

Some zero-fare services may be built to avoid the need for large transport construction. Port cities where shipping would require very high bridges might provide zero-fare ferries instead. These are free at the point of use, just as the use of a bridge might have been. Machinery installed within a building or shopping centre can be seen as 'zero-fare transport': elevators, escalators and moving sidewalks are often provided by property owners and funded through the sales of goods and services. Community bicycle programs, providing free bicycles for short-term public use could be thought of as zero-fare transport.

A common example of zero-fare transport is student transport, where students travelling to or from school do not need to pay. The University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point partly funds the Stevens Point Transit system. All students at the university can use any of the four citywide campus routes and the other four bus routes throughout the city free of charge. The university also funds two late night bus routes to serve the downtown free of charge with a goal of cutting down drunk driving. The University of Nottingham offers free Hopper Bus between its University Park and Jubilee, Sutton Bonington and Royal Derby Hospital campuses, where no other bus companies operate direct routes between. However, this service requires passengers to tap their university ID to board, meaning that members of the public cannot ride on these buses.

In some regions transport is free because the revenues are lower that expenses from fare collection is already partially paid by government or company or service (for example BMO railway road in Moscow, most part of is used to as service transport and officially pick up passengers).[clarification needed]

Many large amusement parks will have trams servicing large parking lots or distant areas. Disneyland in Anaheim, California, runs a tram from its entrance, across the parking lot, and across the street to its hotel as well as the bus stop for Orange County and Los Angeles local transit buses. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, provides tram service throughout its parking lot.

In July 2017, Dubai announced it would offer free bus services for a short period of time on selected days.[11]

In the northwestern United States, some tribal governments offer free bus service on their respective reservations, including on the Muckleshoot,[12] Spokane,[13] Umatilla[14] and Yakama Indian Reservations.[15]

Emergency relief

During natural disasters, pandemics, and other area-wide emergencies, some transit agencies offer zero-fare transport.

United States

Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit commuter rail temporarily offered free service for those needing transportation alternatives during the 2017 Tubbs Fire and 2019 Kincade Fire.[16][17]

Some agencies, including the Central Ohio Transit Authority and King County Metro, offer free public transport during snow emergencies to reduce the number of vehicles on the street.[18][19]

COVID-19 pandemic

See also: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transport

During the COVID-19 pandemic, several agencies paused the collection of fares to alleviate concerns that the virus could be transmitted on surfaces, to keep travelers from coming into close contact with employees, or to allow rear door boarding on their vehicles. These agencies are mostly located in smaller cities where the farebox recovery ratio is low as they could afford to implement this policy without a major hit to revenue.[20] A study was conducted to detail the ways that fare collection during the pandemic varied geographically and demographically. During this time, 63.5% of the 263 public transit agencies studied had suspended fare collection. Geographically, the alleviation of fares was common around urban centers like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, New York City, etc and less obvious in northwestern states.[21]

Benefits

Operational benefits

Transport operators can benefit from faster boarding and shorter dwell times, allowing faster timetabling of services. Although some of these benefits can be achieved in other ways, such as off-vehicle ticket sales and modern types of electronic fare collection, zero-fare transport avoids equipment and personnel costs.

Passenger aggression may be reduced. In 2008 bus drivers of Société des Transports Automobiles (STA) in Essonne held strikes demanding zero-fare transport for this reason. They claim that 90% of the aggression is related to refusal to pay the fare.[22]

Commercial benefits

Some zero-fare transport services are funded by private businesses, such as the merchants in a shopping mall, in the hope that doing so will increase sales or other revenue from increased foot traffic or ease of travel. Employers often operate free shuttles as a benefit to their employees, or as part of a congestion mitigation agreement with a local government.

Community benefits

Zero-fare transport can make the system more accessible and fair for low-income residents. Other benefits are the same as those attributed to public transport generally:

Global benefits

Global benefits of zero-fare transport are also the same as those attributed to public transport generally. If use of personal cars is discouraged, zero-fare public transport could mitigate the problems of global warming and oil depletion. On average, cars emit one pound of CO2 per mile driven.[23] Public transport helps to reduce the number of vehicles being driven which results in decreasing carbon emissions. Cars are also responsible for emitting other pollutants such as antifreeze.[23]

Drawbacks

Several large U.S. municipalities have attempted zero-fare systems, but many of these implementations have been judged unsuccessful by policy makers. A 2002 National Center for Transportation Research report suggests that, while transit ridership does tend to increase, there are also some disadvantages:[24]

  • An increase in vandalism, resulting in increased costs for security and vehicle-maintenance
  • In large transit systems, significant revenue shortfalls unless additional funding was provided
  • An increase in driver complaints and staff turnover, although farebox-related arguments were eliminated
  • Slower service overall (not collecting fares has the effect of speeding boarding, but increased crowding tends to swamp out this effect unless additional vehicles are added)
  • Declines in schedule adherence

This U.S. report suggests that, while ridership does increase overall, the goal of enticing drivers to take transit instead of driving is not necessarily met: because fare-free systems tend to attract a certain number of "problem riders", zero-fare systems may have the unintended effect of convincing some 'premium' riders to go back to driving their cars. It should be kept in mind that this was a study that only looked at U.S. cities, and the author's conclusions may be less applicable in other countries that have better social safety nets and less crime than the large U.S. cities studied.[24]

Countries with area-wide zero-fare transport

  • Luxembourg was the first country to offer free public transport (trams, trains, and buses) for everyone across the entire country. Since 29 February 2020, all public transport has been free in the country, with the exception of the first class on trains.[25][26]
  • Estonia wants to become entirely zero-fare. Counties in Estonia are allowed to make public transport free. Between 2018 and 2024, buses were free of charge in 11 of Estonia's 15 counties. Public transport in Estonia's capital, Tallinn, has been free to local residents since 2013.[27][28] As of January 2024, free local transport in the counties was largely abolished, but remains available for people up to 19 years of age and those aged 63 and over.[29]
  • Malta became fare free for all residents on 1 October 2022.[30]
  • There are UK-wide provisions for free bus travel for senior citizens (60-years-old and over in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Greater London, state pension age for England).[31][32][33] The Scottish government has also implemented free bus travel across the country for people under 22-years-old since 31 January 2022, while the Scottish National Blind Person Scheme allows free rail and ferry travel for blind persons.[34][35] The senior citizens bus pass also apply to rail and rapid transit (the Tube) in Greater London, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
  • Romania has made public transportation including busses, subways and inter-country trains free for all pre-university students. However university students only have the option for a 50% discount on individual inter-country train tickets or inter-city subscriptions.[36]
  • In the Netherlands, students with Dutch citizenship get free public transportation country-wide in trains, trams, buses and metro. Students who are studying at universities of applied sciences and universities need to finish their degree ten years after starting it or they will need to pay back the amount of money.[37][38]
  • Throughout Spain, from 1 September to 31 December 2022, all multi-trip ticket train journeys on commuter services and medium-distance routes (less than 300 kilometres (190 mi)) were made free of charge.[39]
  • Since March 2024, the Hungarian national railway company MÁV does not charge those of ages 65 and over and 14 and under for transportation.[40] Buses of the company Volánbusz can also be used free of charge from people of these same age ranges.[41]

List of towns and cities with area-wide zero-fare transport

Further information: List of free public transport routes

Europe

Town/City Population Operator First year Duration Notes
Portugal Cascais 206 479 Mobi Cascais 2020 Since 2020-01-02 Free public bus transportation for residents, students and workers registered in the Municipality of Cascais. Cascais was the first in Portugal to implement the measure and is the fourth-largest city of the country.
France Cahors 20 447 Raynal Voyages 2019 Since 2019-11-02 [42]
Netherlands Netherlands Government 1991 Since 1991 Free public transport for students Studentenreisproduct or OV-studentenkaart in the whole Netherlands. Students can choose for free transport on weekdays and 40% discount in the weekends, or vice versa.
Russia Voronezh, Voronezh Oblast 1 032 382 Municipality 2003 2003–2013 Free buses run every 30 min. (designated by the letter Н)[43]
Russia Skolkovo, Moscow N/A ODAS Skolkovo + Mosgortrans 2012 Since opening Local buses are free, include to railway station (from 2019, weekdays, delayed), longer routes are charged unless they ride via Auchan or Vegas
Russia Miass, Chelyabinsk Oblast 151 387 Municipality 1991 Until 2002[44] Free trolleybuses and buses
Gibraltar Gibraltar 29 500 State 2011 Since 2011-05 Only for residents and workers. Tourists have to pay.
Spain Manises 30 478 [45]
Spain Marbella 150 000 Municipality 2019 Since 2019 Only for enrolled citizens.[46]
Slovenia Nova Gorica 31 000 2006 Since 2006-04
Bulgaria Samokov 27 000 2006 Since 2006
Bulgaria Stamboliyski 12 000 Municipality 2019 Since 2019
Norway Stavanger 146 011 Municipality 2023 Since 2023
Belgium Hasselt 72 000 De Lijn 1997 Since 1997-07-01 1300% ridership increase 1996–2006. In 2013, Hasselt stopped free bus service for adults; riders under 19 still travel for free.
Belgium Duffel 17 385 De Lijn Only valid for one ride
Belgium Ingelmunster 10 928 De Lijn 2017 Since 2017 Free public transport was offered when the construction of a new bridge made the connection between the two sides of the town impossible.
Belgium Mons 92 000 TEC Hainaut 1999 Since 1999-07-01
Sweden Avesta Municipality 21 000 Dalatrafik 2012[47] Until 2021. Ended due to increased operating costs.
Sweden Kiruna 18 090 2011 From 2011 to 2012–12 [48]
Sweden Övertorneå 2 000 70 km of free rides on local buses in this rural municipality [citation needed]
Poland Bełchatów 56 973 Miejski Zakład Komunikacji Sp. z o.o. 2015 Since 2015-05-28 Unconditionally free for all users.
Poland Żory 62 625 2014 Since 2014-05-01 Unconditionally free for all users.
Poland Lubin 72 951 2014 Since 2014-09-01 Unconditionally free for all users.
Poland Olkusz 36 122 2013 Between 2013-09-01 and 2014-12-31 For car owners registered in this municipality only.
Poland Ostrołęka 52 337 2017 Since 2017-10-28 Unconditionally free for all users.
Romania Lugoj 37 700 2013 Starting 2013-07-01 [49]
Romania Cluj-Napoca 411 379 2021 Starting 2021-06-18 Free transportation on tram and bus lines every Friday[50]
Romania Ploiești 201 226 TCE S.A. 2014 Starting 31 March 2014 The benefits are limited to city residents with an income under 3,000 RON per month (about €670).[51]
Romania Arad 145 078 CTP Arad S.A. 2023 Starting 7 July 2023 Free transportation on tram and bus lines every Friday.[52]
Greece Ilioupoli 78 153 Municipality Free transportation to all, but only local buses, for specifically only local municipality buses.[53]
Iceland Akureyri, Iceland 18 803 2007 Since 2007-01-01 [54]
Estonia Tallinn 435 245 2013 Since 2013-01-01 Tallinn is currently the largest city offering free public transport for its residents. Regional buses are excluded from the scheme. Elron commuter trains are also free inside the city limits.[55] Tallinn is also the first capital with free public transport for its residents.
Estonia Keila 9 873 2013 Since 2013-02
Estonia Türi 6 174 [56]
Germany Lübben 14 500 Has been stopped Influenced by Hasselt
Germany Kelheim 122 258 VLK 2021 Since November 2021 Free busses since November 2021 within Kelheim County
Germany Templin 16 500 Has been stopped
Germany Augsburg 295 135 SWA 2020 Since 2020-01-01 Free public transport within a zone downtown called "City-Zone"
Germany Erlangen 116 562 ESTW 2024 Since 2024-01-01 Free use of all buses in the inner city for everybody
Germany Monheim am Rhein and Langenfeld (Rheinland) 46 072 + 60 926 Free use of all buses and the lightrail lines S6 and S68 in the city areas of Monheim am Rhein, Langenfeld (Rheinland) and Düsseldorf-Hellerhof, for residents of Monheim am Rhein only
Slovakia Senec 19 900 MAD Senec 2013 Since 2013-11-01 Since 1 April 2018 city transport has two bus lines. Temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic until 1 September.[57]
France Aubagne 42 900 (100 000 in the area concerned) 2009 Since 2009-05-15 The Aubagne tramway is considered to be the first completely fare-free tram system in the world.[58]
France Bar-le-Duc 15 700 2008 Since 2008-09-01
France Boulogne-Billancourt 110 000 1992 Since 1992
France Castres 62 500 2008 Since 2008–10
France Châteauroux 47 127 2001 Since 2001
France Colomiers 28 538 1971 Since 1971 The first area of France to offer zero-fare public transport which is still in operation at present
France Compiègne 40 028 1990s Since the 1990s [59]
France Dunkirk 91 000 Municipality 2015: free weekend service, fall 2018: full service[60][61]
France Figeac 9 900 2003 Since 2003–2009
France Issoudun 13 500 1989 since 1989 Has free in the name of the service (Transport Issoudun Gratuit). Works on certain days of the week in the afternoons only.
France Libourne 23 000 2009 Since 2009-01-01 for under 18s
Since 2010-08-28 for everyone
France Manosque 22 200 2010 since 2010-01-01
France Niort 122 000 Communauté d'agglomération du Niortais 2017 since 2017-09-01
France Vitré 15 313 2001 Since spring 2001 First French urban agglomeration to do so.
Italy Catania 315 000 Amt, Metropolitana di Catania, Università degli Studi di Catania 2018 Since 2018-04-10[62] Free metro and bus lines to all local university students
Czech Republic Třeboň 8 700 ČSAD Jindřichův Hradec a. s. 2002 Between 2002–2002 and 2007–2008 Under Mayor Jiří Houdek (KDU-ČSL), city transport has only one bus line (No 340300), influenced by US school buses
Czech Republic Prague 1 285 000 Many operators (first of all Dopravní podnik hl. m. Prahy) 2002 Between 2002 and 2008-2015 (ca) and 2002-08-25, during the Vltava flood and flooding of the Prague metro system Also always during time of the smog or other emergency (used rarely – 1996–1997 for 2 day, 1992–1993 for 4 days).[63][64]
Czech Republic Hořovice 6 800 Probo Trans Beroun s. r. o. 2008 Since 2008-03 City transport has only one bus line (no. 210009 alias C09 or C9)
Czech Republic Valašské Meziříčí 27 300 ČSAD Vsetín a. s. 2009 Between 2009-06-14 and 2009-07-14, again since 2017-09[65][66] City transport has five bus lines
Czech Republic Přelouč 9 000 Veolia Transport Východní Čechy a. s. 2009 Between 2009-12-01 and 2010-03-06 Initial price at the newly established first city bus line (no. 665101)
Czech Republic Frýdek-Místek 58 200 ČSAD Frýdek-Místek a. s. 2011 Since 2011-03-27 Only 365-day chip coupon (however the chip card costs 299 Kč and prolongation 1 Kč) and user must to not be a debtor toward the city. Number of passengers has increased from 3.8 million in 2010 to 5.7 million in 2013. Since 2014, it is possible to travel free on regional bus lines to next 18 villages and towns. Population in the serviced area is 100,000. Chip card for free public transport has 25,000 passengers.
Czech Republic Strakonice 22 900 ČSAD STTRANS a. s. 2018 Since 2018-01-01 In 2017, the city bus transport was free for senior citizens, children and students up to 26 years; since 2018, buses are free for all, but only in the city zone (sections outside the city are still paid).[67][68]
Czech Republic Lovosice 8 700 BusLine a. s., renamed to TD BUS a.s. 2018 Since 2018-01-28[69] The only bus line no. 558001 started 10 years ago, 2008-01-28
Czech Republic Litoměřice 24 000 BusLine a. s., renamed to TD BUS a.s. 2018 Since 2018-05-01[70] Two bus lines
Czech Republic Říčany 12 400 ČSAD Benešov a. s. (ICOM group) 2018 Since 2018-09-03[71] 3 intervallic lines (yellow, red and blue) and 3 school lines (Š1, Š2, Š3), licence numbers 289001–289006, in working days only. Previous lines of Prague Integrated Transport remain paid.
Czech Republic Kolín 33 289 Okresní autobusová doprava Kolín, s.r.o. 2023 Since 2023-01-01[72]
Faroe Islands Tórshavn 20 000 Tórshavn City Council Six different bus lines[73]
Serbia Jagodina 76 712 Jagodina City Council 2019 Since Opening Free public transport is not only available in Jagodina also in 52 villages and settlements around Jagodina that are connected with the city.[74]
Ukraine Kryvyi Rih 603 904 Municipality 2022 Including trams, metrotram, and trolleybus[75]
Ukraine Kharkiv 1 421 125 Municipality 2022 Including trams, metro, and trolleybus[76]

Asia

Town/City Population Operator Begin operation Duration Notes
Russia Cheremushki, Khakassia, Russia 9,000 trams are serviced by Dam's staff zero fare is official to anybody (de jure service line because the taxes would be higher than revenues)
Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia 10,770,487 TransJakarta 2016; 8 years ago (2016) Nine free bus routes including city tour buses
Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1,790,000 SKS Bus 31 August 2012; 12 years ago (2012-08-31) Go KL City Bus
India New Delhi, India 20,000,000 (concerned for 9,000,000 women) State Government 2019 free bus services for women
Israel Tel Aviv District, Israel 1,350,000 Na'im Busofash November 22, 2019 Free weekend public transportation array that exists in 6 authorities in Gush Dan – Givatayim, Kiryat Ono, Ramat HaSharon, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Yehud-Monosson and Shoham.
Israel Tiberias, Israel 41,300 Tiberias city council 2019 one bus line that goes on Saturdays
Korea Hwaseong, Korea 934,441 Hwaseong city 2020 Fare-free bus service for the children, youth, and elderly
Thailand Bangkok, Thailand 8,249,000 several In some bus lines in older unair-conditioned bus (far prices are also about age/equipment of bus). Also time and again for new public metro tracks for several months.
Turkey Ovacık, Turkey 6,998 Ovacık municipality 2014 All municipality-operated buses are free[77]
Turkey Tunceli, Turkey 38,429 Tunceli municipality 2019 Free in three neighbourhoods that doesn't have privately operated public bus[77]
India Tamil Nadu, India 72,147,030 (concerned for 36,009,055 women) State Government 2021 free metro and bus services for women[78]

Americas

Brazil

A bus with free public transport in Vargem Grande Paulista, Brazil.
Town/City Population Operator First year Duration Notes
Agudos, SP 36,700 local government 2011 since 2011 [79][80][81]
Ivaiporã, PR 31,812 local government 2011 since 2011 [79][80][81]
Porto Real, RJ 16,574 local government 2011 since 2011 [79][80]
Potirendaba, SP 15,449 local government 1998 since 1998 [82]
Paulínia, SP 86,800 local government 2013 since 2013 [83]
Maricá, RJ 146,549 Empresa Pública de Transportes – EPT 2014 since 2014 [84]
Muzambinho, MG 21,975 local government 2011 since 2011 [85]
Pitanga, PR 32,645 local government 2012 since 2012 [86]
Silva Jardim, RJ 21,307 local government 2014 since 2014-02-15 [87]
Vargem Grande Paulista, SP 48,720 2019 since 2019 [88]

Canada

Town/City Population Operator First Year Duration Notes
Mont Tremblant, Quebec 10,000 Mont-Tremblant Public Transit 2019 [89]
La Prairie, Quebec 23,000 2014
Saint-Philippe, Quebec 5,500 2014
Candiac, Quebec 21,000 2014
Sainte-Julie, Quebec 30,000 2014
Cold Lake, Alberta 15,000 Cold Lake Transit [90]
St. Albert, Alberta 70,000 St. Albert Transit [91]
Canmore, Alberta 13,000 ROAM 2019 [92]

United States

See also: Free public transport in Massachusetts
Town/City Population Operator First year Duration Notes
Albuquerque, New Mexico 564,559 ABQ RIDE 2022 [93]
Alexandria, Virginia 159,467 DASH (bus) 2021 [94]
Athens, Georgia 126,913 Athens Transit 2021 [95]
Avon, Colorado 6,115 Avon/Beaver Creek Transit 2021 [96]
Boone, North Carolina 17,122 AppalCart[97] 1981 since 1981 combination of funding from the town, Appalachian State University, Watauga County, and state and federal agencies.
Boston, Massachusetts 675,647 several MBTA key bus routes (23, 28, and 29) 2021 2021 until 2024
Main article: Free public transport in Boston
Breckenridge, Colorado 4,901 Free Ride Transit System 1997
Cache Valley, Utah Cache Valley Transit District 2000 since 2000
Canby, Oregon 15,829 Canby Area Transit
Chadron, Nebraska 5,488 City of Chadron
Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina 70,000+ Chapel Hill Transit 2002 since 2002 operated by the Town of Chapel Hill to serve Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and UNC-Chapel Hill; supported by taxpayers and University fee-payers
Clallam County, Washington 77,805 Clallam Transit 2024 one-year pilot Does not apply to long-distance routes and Hurricane Ridge shuttle[9]
Clemson, South Carolina 11,939 Clemson Area Transit partnership between Clemson University and surrounding communities
Commerce, California 41,000 City of Commerce Municipal Bus Lines 1962 since 1962 all transportation services are free of charge[98]
Coral Gables, Florida 42,871
Corvallis, Oregon 54,462 Corvallis Transit System 2011 since February 2011 [99]
Dayton, Ohio 137,644 Flyer Shuttle Bus operated by the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority 2018 since 2018 Shuttle connects downtown Dayton and University of Dayton[100]
Detroit, Michigan 639,000 Q Line operated by the Detroit Transport Authority 2017 since 2017 Connecting northern suburbs to central Detroit[101]
Ellensburg, Washington 20,326 Central Transit [9]
Emeryville, California 9,727 Emery Go Round
Fairfax, Virginia 24,276 CUE Bus 2020 Until June 30, 2026 [102] CUE stopped collecting fares in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has since continued operating zero-fare. Funded in part by the Fairfax, Virginia and a grant from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
Fort Collins, Colorado 169,810 Transfort 2020 Transfort stopped collecting fares in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has since continued operating zero-fare. As of January 2023, the city is considering keeping Transfort fare-free permanently.[103]
Grant County, Washington Grant Transit Authority 2020 Became permanently fare-free in 2022.[104]
Island County, Washington 81,054 Island Transit 1987 since 1987
Hawaii County, Hawaii 206,315 Hele-On Bus 2021 through 2025 [105]
Jefferson County, Washington Jefferson Transit 2024 since January 2024[106]
Kansas City, Missouri 301,500 RideKC buses and KC Streetcar 2019 2019-2023 The first large U.S. city to implement a universal, systemwide fare-free scheme after a unanimous City Council vote to make RideKC buses Zero Fare through 2023. The bus system previously cost travelers $1.50 per ride or $50 for a monthly pass, while the KC Streetcar has been fare free since it began service in 2016.[107]
Ketchum/Sun Valley, Idaho 3,003 Mountain Rides
Kootenai County, Idaho Citylink [108][109]
Lebanon, New Hampshire 13,151 Advance Transit combination of state and federal funding and from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Dartmouth College. Also serves Hanover and White River Junction, Vermont
Logan, Utah 49,534 Cache Valley Transit District 1992 since 1992
Macomb, Illinois 20,000 Go West Transit 2006 since 2006
Mammoth Lakes, California 8,234 Eastern Sierra Transit Authority
Marion, Indiana 29,948 Marion Area Transit System 2008 since 2008
Mason County, Washington 61,019 Mason Transit Authority 1992[9] Fares charged on intra-county routes
Missoula, Montana 69,122 Missoula Urban Transportation District
Moscow, Idaho 25,146 SMART Transit [110]
Mountain View, California 81,500 Google and City of Mountain View Mountain View Community Shuttle, electric bus service 10AM to 6PM daily
Muckleshoot Indian Reservation, Washington Muckleshoot Indian Tribe [111]
Olympia/Thurston County, Washington 252,264 Intercity Transit 2020 2020–2027 5-year pilot, later extended to 2027[9]
Park City, Utah 8,300 Park City Transit, High Valley Transit Also serves Snyderville Basin
Provo, Utah/Orem, Utah 215,175 Utah Transit Authority 2018 since 2018 Utah Valley Express (UVx) Bus-Rapid Transit Line only. UVX fare has been covered by a Federal Highway Administration Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement grant through 2021.[112]
Rome, Georgia 37,746 Rome Transit Department (RTD) 2021 until 29 December 2023 (planned) Beginning on 4 October 2021, the City of Rome Transit Department began offering free Fixed-Route Transit Service in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fare adjustment is currently set to expire on 29 December 2023.
Sandy, Oregon 9,570 Sandy Area Metro 2000 since 2000
Spokane Indian Reservation, Washington Spokane Tribe of Indians [113]
Stanford, California 13,809 Stanford Marguerite Shuttle
Starkville, Mississippi 23,888 Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit
Tacoma, Washington 216,279 Sound Transit T Line 2003 2023 Eliminated after extension
Tampa, Florida 380,000 TECO Line Streetcar 2018 Service with fares started in 2002, free since 2018.
Tucson, Arizona 1,043,433 Sun Tran 2020 Fare free for the entire Tucson Metropolitan Area since Spring 2020. Originally a pandemic-era temporary measure, it is now permanent.[114][115]
Umatilla Indian Reservation, Oregon Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation [116]
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 120,000 MBus
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota 51,853 U of M Transitway 1992 since 1992
Vail, Colorado 4,589 over 20 hours of service every day during winter
Vero Beach, Florida 15,220 GoLine free 14-route public transit system serves 700,000 annual riders
Walla Walla, Washington 50,600 Valley Transit 1981 Until 2026[117]
Westchester County 1,004,457[118] Bee-Line Bus System 2022 June 1 through September 5 (Labor Day)[119]
Wilmington, Vermont 2,225 Deerfield Valley Transit Association 1996 since 1996 free 13-route public transit system operated by Southeast Vermont Transit serving 200,000 riders annually and providing commuter bus service between Bennington and Brattleboro. Operates as "the MOOver".
Wilsonville, Oregon 19,509 South Metro Area Regional Transit
Yakama Indian Reservation, Washington Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation [120]

Perception and analysis

Fare-free transit has been repeatedly demonstrated to increase ridership—especially during non-peak travel periods—and customer satisfaction.[121] Several analyses[122][123][124] have shown ridership increased by as much as 15% overall and about 45% during the off-peak periods. The effects on public transport operators included schedule adherence problems because of the increased ridership and more complaints about rowdiness from younger passengers, though obviously there were no more direct conflicts with passengers regarding fare collection.[122] When the University of California, Los Angeles covered fares for the university community, ridership increased by 56% in the first year and solo driving fell by 20%[124] (though one older study showed no measurable impact on automobile use).[123]

In the United States, mass transit systems that collect fares are only expected to generate about 10% of the annual revenue themselves, with the remainder covered by either public or private investment and advertisements.[107] Therefore, politicians and social-justice advocacy groups, such as the Swedish network Planka.nu, see zero-fare public transport as a low-cost, high-impact approach to reducing economic inequality.[125] It has also been argued that transportation to and from work is essential to the employer in the managing of work hours, so financing of public transportation should fall to employers rather than private individuals or public funds.[126]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Luxembourg becomes first country with free public transport". France 24. Luxembourg. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Luxembourg makes public transport free". Deutsche Welle (DW). 29 February 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
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