Date: February 1, 2023
Author(s): Hannah King, Brian D. Taylor
Abstract
Many analysts have argued for transit fares to vary with distance traveled and time of day to better reflect the highly variable costs of transit service provision on both efficiency and equity grounds. However, proposals for variable fares have garnered little traction among transit managers and their governing boards, who often worry that changing fares may be even less popular with riders than raising them. Until recently, variable fares were also difficult to implement from a technological standpoint. As a result, most fare experimentation has centered on “fare-free” or reduced-fare programs.
About the Project
Growing public interest in fare-free transit demands an assessment of fare-free and/or reduced transit fare programs, particularly how these programs may benefit disadvantaged communities, both urban and rural. Fare policy […]