Why isn't public transit free?

We have been conditioned to think of public transit as a project that needs fares for revenue, but always runs in the red and has to be subsidized.

• Public transit is not a company, it is a public investment
• Since it is not for profit, it can't be called subsidized
• It does not run in the red, it provides benefits that are not counted
• Fares are not for revenue, but for rationing

If fares are removed, ridership will go up. More buses will be needed. They will then be more frequent. That will lead to more ridership. That will increase the need for buses. The needs of cars will have to compete with buses for funding. The critical mass of the system of transport will shift.

Can you see the danger this poses to those who profit from oil, autos, and sprawl?

This then, is the reason that public transit is not fare-free.

Can we afford to keep charging fares?

Most of the costs of public transit are paid by taxes. Percent of revenue applied to costs is usually stated something like this:

• 40% stated percent of revenue from fares

but the actual numbers are more like this:

• 20% actual percent when capital costs are included
• 10% percent remaining after fare-collection costs are considered
• 00% percent remaining after fare-enforcement/fare-security

So fares are not needed for revenue. Then, can they be justified for rationing?
Fares, or user-fees, ration use to prevent misuse. But public transit is a part of your city that makes things better when used more, whereas cars are a consumer product that make your city worse when used more.

So, we cannot afford to ration public transit.

Rivals, not enemies. [the enemy is us, the common people]

Missed this picture.

Apparently Trump, Erdogan and Putin had a brief encounter during G-20 summit.

They all look very happy. pic.twitter.com/qxmbuGYCsh

— Ragıp Soylu (@ragipsoylu) June 30, 2019

#freetransit success in Dunkirk, France

Plenty of excitement about Auckland, NZ fare-free day

Discounted or fare-free public transport moves have gained momentum in Auckland this year to try to accelerate patronage, which is already rising at nearly 8 per cent.

https://farefreenz.blogspot.com/2019/06/auckland-public-transport-booms-in.html

Fare-free system's ridership, 12 consecutive months of double digit growth

Ridership on Breckenridge’s free public transportation system exploded in May with a 39.5% increase compared to May 2018, based on figures included in a memo produced by town staff.
Overall, that equates to almost 48,000 rides for the month compared with just over 34,000 in May 2018. It puts the town’s transportation system at more than 600,000 rides year-to-date, a 17.7% increase compared with the same time frame last year.
According to town staff, this marks the 12th consecutive month of double-digit growth for the Free Ride system.

https://www.summitdaily.com/news/local/breckenridges-free-public-transit-system-sees-nearly-40-jump-in-may-ridership/ 

Everybody would benefit, so everybody should pay

Public transport is a common good that should be paid for by all. Everybody will share the benefits of a big switch to quality public transport and an end to traffic congestion - so everyone should share the costs, instead of expecting the users of public transport to shoulder the burden and effectively subsidise car travel on ‘free’ roads. 

There is good reason for public transport to be partially paid for by subsidies from the public purse – why not cover the full cost collectively, as we do for other important public services such as libraries and police and civil infrastructure?

https://farefreenz.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-big-idea-thats-too-big-forauckland.html 

Public transport means better health

A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia suggests taking public transit may help you keep fit.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090326134014.htm 

“People who use public transport are five times more physically active.”

Public Transport and Physical Activity

Using public transport increases physical activity and helps reduce the chance of obesity and other health problems related to sedentary lifestyles.

The Victorian Integrated Survey of Travel and Activity (VISTA) of 43,800 Melbournians found that people who used public transport on a given day also spent an average of 41 minutes walking or cycling as part of their travel.[1]

http://bic.asn.au/information-for-moving-people/health-and-public-transport 

More public transit means more walking

CONCLUSIONS:
Walking to and from public transportation can help physically inactive populations, especially low-income and minority groups, attain the recommended level of daily physical activity. Increased access to public transit may help promote and maintain active lifestyles. Results from this study may contribute to health impact assessment studies (HIA) that evaluate the impact of proposed public transit systems on physical activity levels, and thereby may influence choices made by transportation planners.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16242589