Combining free fares with faster routes multiplies transit ridership gains

Reporting on a Climate and Community Institute study finds that smaller cities across the country, not just New York, have been experimenting with both speeding up buses (dedicated corridors, signal priority) and eliminating fares, sometimes together. The piece cites a study finding average ridership gains of 56% after fares are eliminated, and notes that some agencies, like Olympia, Washington's, found fare enforcement cost more than the revenue it brought in. The researchers argue the two strategies reinforce each other: dropping fares speeds boarding, while faster service attracts riders who help justify treating transit funding like a public utility. Useful for any city weighing whether fare-free transit is worth the revenue tradeoff.