Perhaps the skeptic in you is saying: without fares, public transit would run out of money and break down. Or you worry that a free ride would attract riff-raff threatening other passengers' safety and comfort. Or you doubt that sober, number crunching officials would ever take the idea seriously.
By the time you are done reading this series, I will have shared real life examples and expert findings to counter all those concerns.
Fare-free transit brings many benefits, some of which include:
- a barrier-free transportation option to every member of the community (no more worries about exact change, expiring transfers, or embarrassment about how to pay)
- eliminating a "toll" from a mode of transportation that we as a society want to be used (transit is often the only way of getting around that charges a toll)
- reducing the inequity between the subsidies given to private motorized vehicle users and public transport users
- reducing, and in some cases eliminating, the need for private motorized vehicle parking
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions, other air pollutants, noise pollution (especially with electric trolleys), and run-off of toxic chemicals into fresh water supplies and ocean environments
- reducing overall consumption of oil and gasoline
- eliminating the perceived need to spend billions on roads and highways (now up to $7 billion for the proposed Gateway Project in Vancouver)
- eliminating the perceived need to spend billions on bigger car-carrying ferries ($2.5 billion for BC Ferries' new super-sized boats and ramps)
- contributing significantly to the local economy by keeping our money in our communities
- reducing litter (in Vancouver, the newer transfers/receipts have overtaken fast food packaging for most common garbage found on our streets)
- saving trees by eliminating the need to print transfers and tickets
- allowing all bus doors to be used to load passengers, making service faster and more efficient
- allowing operators (drivers) to focus on driving safely
- giving operators more time to answer questions
- providing operators a safer work environment since fare disputes are eliminated
- eliminating fare evasion and the criminalization of transit-using citizens
- fostering more public pride in shared, community resources
