Civil and Municipal - Mar 2023

5 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 3 OPENING LINES FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ACCELERATES IN SOME US CITIES Source -VOA New.com, Deborah Block, First Published Feb 19th The push for free-fare public transit is growing in the United States, despite a debate over its feasibility. While some cities have been taking small steps, Washington recently passed a measure to eliminate fares on city buses. It is the largest city to put into place a zero-fare transit program, set to begin by July 1. “Having free fare is the right thing to do,” said Charles Allen, a member of Washington’s governing council, which unanimously passed the bill. Allen, who is also the chair of the city’s transportation committee, thinks public transit should be considered the same as other free public services. “I don’t pay to use the library or to call the fire department,” he told VOA. “I think public transit was primarily set up so that people didn’t view it as a public good, and I disagree with that.” Allen noted that Washington’s “transit [system] doesn’t make money. It’s not supposed to since it’s a public good. And so, fare collection is where you get a little bit extra money in the system. And we’re just shifting the burden from the rider, especially because our bus riders are predominantly lower income.” WORK-FROM-HOME DROVE CHANGE As in other cities, many Washingtonians began working remotely at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Ridership on public transportation dropped significantly. “The bus ridership has now bounced back to 95% [of pre-pandemic levels],” Allen said, adding that Washington’s local government will provide funding for the project. “The bill adds about a dozen 24-hour bus routes and creates a $10-million-a-year service fund for improving the bus service,” he said. Allen hopes to entice more people to use public transit. O p e n i n g L i n e s