Implementation and outcomes of fare-free transit systems.

Author(s)
Volinski, J.
Year
Abstract

The purpose of the synthesis was to document the past and current experiences of public transit agencies that have planned, implemented, and operated fare­free transit systems. The report concentrated on public transit agencies that are either direct recipients or sub-recipients of federal transit grants and provide fare­free service to everyone in their service area on every mode they provide. It will be of interest to transit managers and staffs; small urban and rural areas, university, and resort communities, as well as stakeholders and policy makers at all levels who would be interested in knowing the social benefits and macro impacts of providing affordable mobility through fare­free public transit. A review of the relevant literature was conducted for this effort. Reports provide statistics on changes in levels of ridership associated with fare­free service. White papers or agency reports identified by the topic panel or discovered through interviews with fare­free transit managers were also reviewed. Through topic panel input, Internet searches, listserv communications, and APTA and TRB sources, the first comprehensive listing of public transit agencies that provide fare­free service in the United States was identified. A selected survey of these identified public transit agencies yielded an 82% response rate (32/39). The report offers a look at policy and administrative issues through survey responses. Five case studies, achieved through interviews, represent the three types of communities that were found to be most likely to adopt a fare­free policy: rural and small urban, university dominated, and resort communities. These were the Corvallis Transit System, Oregon; Cache Valley Transit District, Utah; Breckenridge Free Transit System, Colorado; Advance Transit, New Hampshire/Vermont; and Link Transit, Washington. Joel Volinski, National Center for Transit Research, University of South Florida, Tampa, collected and synthesized the information and wrote the report, under the guidance of a panel of experts in the subject area. The members of the topic panel are acknowledged on the preceding page. This synthesis is an immediately useful document that records the practices that were acceptable within the limitations of the knowledge available at the time of its preparation. As progress in research and practice continues, new knowledge will be added to that now at hand. (Author/publisher) This report is available online at http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_101.pdf

Publication

Library number
20121520 ST [electronic version only]
Source

Washington, D.C., Transportation Research Board TRB / National Academy of Sciences, 2012, 96 p., 50 ref.; Transit Cooperative Research Program TCRP ; Synthesis of Transit Practice ; 101 / Project J­7, Topic SA­26 - ISSN 1073-4880 / ISBN 978­0­309­22361­4

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