WORCESTER — The Worcester Regional Transit Authority will remain fare free at least until the end of the year, as advisory board members worried that reinstituting fares may be premature if COVID-19 surges in the fall.
https://www.telegram.com/news/20200919/wrta-extends-free-fares-to-end-of-year
BELTRAN: Surveys show that most of the riders in the free bus program make less than 20,000 dollars a year. And since the program started, ridership has gone up about 20% percent.https://www.loe.org/shows/segments.html?programID=20-P13-00012
RIVERA: I think that I get two reactions, one that people are happy. And two is when are we going to expand it?
BELTRAN: Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera was a key driver behind the city’s free bus program. He says it’s a way to help low income residents.
RIVERA: You give people the ways to go make a good living, or go to school or go to the doctor's office or do all those things without worrying about having a car. With a very small infusion of funds you can give people a decent amount of relief in their wallet.
Without access to reliable, affordable public transportation, many are struggling to get to the doctors they need. Transportation is healthcare, and free public transit is a part of Healthcare for All. #coronavirus #HealthcareforAll
— Robbie Goldstein (@RobbieForChange) March 18, 2020
The benefits of providing regional transit authority services without charging a fare are clear but hard to quantify, Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler said in a recent letter to the Worcester City Council.
..."As Worcester continues to undergo a renaissance, there has never been a better time to undertake a zero-fare approach to the [Worcester Regional Transit Authority]. It has been shown to dramatically increase ridership across demographic groups and destigmatize the use of public transit, bringing with it numerous benefits," Chandler, a Worcester Democrat, wrote. "Increased ridership offers potential for increased pedestrian traffic in our downtown and commercial districts, generating more lively, walkable areas and increased foot traffic for our businesses."https://www.masslive.com/worcester/2020/03/never-been-a-better-time-for-fare-free-public-transit-in-worcester-massachusetts-senate-president-emerita-harriette-chandler-says-in-letter-of-support.html
2020 is our chance to bring a progressive wave to the State House.
— Jordan Meehan for State Representative (@JordanForMA) March 6, 2020
To fight for rent control.
To fight for fare free transit.
To fight for a Green New Deal.
This is our chance to build a Massachusetts for the many.
Chip in $20 today to make it happen!https://t.co/JULkQP1sYe
WORCESTER - Advocates for a fare-free Worcester bus system filled the City Council chamber Monday night to make their case.https://www.telegram.com/news/20200224/fare-free-bus-idea-gains-traction-in-worcester
About 90 people, reflecting a wide cross section of the community, attended the first in a series of public hearings before the City Council Public Service and Transportation Committee to consider recommendations made by the Worcester Regional Research Bureau last May for a fare-free bus system.
During 90 minutes of public testimony, 37 people spoke, a vast majority in favor of giving the fare-free system a try.
Those who spoke included representatives from the local business community, college students, environmental advocates, community and social justice activists, and many everyday riders of Worcester Regional Transit Authority buses.
