Photo: Jef Nickerson (Flickr)

Rhode Island transit authority announces fare-free pilot

08 September 2022

by Christopher Carey

Rhode Island’s Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) has announced the launch of a year-long fare-free pilot on its most frequent and highest-ridership route – connecting Providence and Pawtucket.

The pilot will be funded with US$2.5 million from the state budget and is the result of legislation sponsored by Senator Meghan E. Kallman and Representative Leonela Felix.

The funding will be used to replace lost fare revenue, purchase automatic passenger counters, perform a required Federal Transit Administration Title VI Analysis, and prepare an evaluation report to the General Assembly.

“We want to thank the Senate for this funding opportunity, which will allow us to learn what free-fare programmes may mean for public transportation,” said Scott Avedisian, RIPTA’s Chief Executive Officer.

“This pilot will give more people an opportunity to ride our busiest route, the R-Line, which connects Cranston, Providence and Pawtucket. This project complements our ongoing free fare pilot programme in Central Falls, and together these initiatives will guide fare discussions in the future.”

During the pilot period, the authority’s paratransit service will also be free for passengers making trips that begin and end within 1.2 kilometres of the route.

Passengers travelling on all other routes are required to pay the full fare.

Ride Free

The initiative is not RIPTA’s first fare-free pilot.

In March 2022, the authority launched Ride Free Central Falls which allows passengers to board for free in Central Falls when using a Wave smart card or mobile app.

The pilot – which runs until March 2023 – is being monitored by the authority through surveys, focus groups and analysis of travel trends.

Wider trend?

While most fare-free initiatives have sprung up in Europe, the US has seen some notable schemes over the past three years.

In December 2019, Kansas City, Missouri unanimously approved a resolution to make public transportation free citywide, becoming the first major US city to do so.

In August 2021, former Boston Mayor Kim Janey announced free fares on one of the city’s bus routes, which was later expanded to cover three lines under current Mayor Michelle Wu.

Wu has been a vocal proponent of free transit, and in 2019 while serving as a city councillor she wrote a Boston Globe op-ed arguing that free public transportation was “the single biggest step we could take toward economic mobility, racial equity, and climate justice.”

Speaking on a recent episode of the Freakonomics podcast, Wu said: “I think we can get to a free bus system.

“That would be transformational for our city’s economy, climate, and opportunity.

“It’s about who has to bear the burden and how we see the long-term cost-benefit of what we need to do to make sure that we are cleaning our air, connecting people to jobs, healing the impacts from the pandemic, and fulfilling our potential as a green, resilient community.”

Jef Nickerson (Flickr)

  • Reuters Automotive
https://cities-today.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dawn-crop.png

Technology inclusion goes beyond internet access in LA

  • Reuters Automotive