Fare-Free Transit Evaluation Framework (2023)
Chapter: Appendix B - Transit Agency Survey Instruments
APPENDIX B
Transit Agency Survey Instruments
TCRP J-11/Task 39: EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR FARE-FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Survey of Transit Agencies with Existing Fare-Free Service
Nelson\Nygaard has been retained by the Transportation Research Board/Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) to develop a framework for evaluating fare-free public transportation. The research will examine the benefits, costs, and tradeoffs that must be considered by public transit agencies, policymakers, and other stakeholders as they look towards full or partial elimination of fares. As part of this research, we are surveying transit agencies in two categories: (1) agencies that currently provide full or partial fare-free service and (2) agencies without existing fare-free service. This survey is directed to transit agencies in the first category. Although many transit agencies temporarily implemented fare-free service starting in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our research is only focusing on evaluating permanent fare-free service. If you have received the wrong survey, please contact our Principal Investigator, Cristina Barone, at cbarone@nelsonnygaard.com.
For the purposes of this research, we are defining partial fare-free transit agencies as those that:
- Allow specific groups of riders to use transit services for free based on age, disability, income, student status, or other eligibility criteria
- Provide fare-free service on specific transit routes or transit modes
The questions in this survey are designed to get an understanding of the factors that go into evaluation and implementation of fare free service. If you have the data available, we would appreciate information about ridership, on-time performance,
service changes, capital investments, operating costs, fare collection costs, and transit agency revenues as they relate to fare-free transit at your agency. If detailed data is not available, estimates or opinions are sufficient. You are encouraged to collaborate with your transit agency colleagues to complete the survey. Individual names and titles will be anonymized prior to the publication of the framework, but survey responses may be associated with your transit agency.
Please complete and submit this survey by Friday, April 30th, 2021. If you have questions regarding this survey or the research project, please contact Cristina Barone at cbarone@nelsonnygaard.com. You may be contacted by Nelson\Nygaard after the survey is complete to help clarify your answers or obtain additional information.
About the Program
- Tell us about yourself:
Name of transit agency:
Respondent name(s):
Respondent role(s):
Email address(es):
Phone number(s):
- May Nelson\Nygaard follow up with you in the coming months as we develop the evaluation framework?
Yes No - Describe the transit agency’s fare structure:
Fully fare-free Partially fare-free. For what groups and/or what services?
Current Program Initiation
- When was the fare-free transit service implemented? Start month and year (an estimate is fine):
Not applicable
- What were the key reasons the transit agency decided to implement full or partial fare-free service?
- Did the transit agency establish goals and objectives that support fare-free service?
Yes No Not sure
If yes, what were the goals and objectives and how did, or will, fare-free service help the agency reach those goals?
- How did the transit agency plan for the move to fare-free service? [select all that apply]
Feasibility study Fare-free pilot Best practices and/or peer agency review Other Not sure Not applicable
Any details you would like to share?
- What were the challenges (e.g., operational, administrative, or political) with running or initiating a fare-free program?
- What would have been / what would be helpful tools to assist in the implementation process for fare-free service?
- If the transit agency is partially fare-free, is additional fare-free service being considered or studied?
Yes, considered and/or studied Yes, we studied it and decided to not implement fully fare-free service (skip to Q. 13) No (skip to Q. 14) Not sure (skip to Q. 14) Not applicable (skip to Q. 14)
- If the transit agency is considering or studying additional fare free service, what groups or services will / would become fare-free?
All riders and services Specific groups of riders Specific services, modes, or routes Not sure Not applicable
What specific groups or services?
- When will the additional fare-free transit service be implemented? Start month and year:
Not applicable
- If the agency studied and decided not to implement additional fare-free service, would you be willing to share more details or any outcomes of your transit agency’s work?
Not applicable
Program Evaluation
- Prior to going fully or partially fare-free, did the transit agency evaluate the success of the policy? If the agency is planning to go fully or partially fare-free, are you currently developing an evaluation plan?
Yes No (skip to Q. 17) Not sure (skip to Q. 17)
- If yes, what metrics were or will be included in the program evaluation (before, during, and after implementation)?
- If evaluated, what were key conclusions of the program evaluation?
- What would have been / what would be helpful tools to assist in the evaluation process for fare-free service?
Funding
- Please tell us about your transit agency’s farebox recovery (fare revenues over operating costs):
Farebox recovery ratio prior to fare-free implementation:
Farebox recovery ratio since initiating fare-free service (ideally 2019 data):
- How did / how will the transit agency make up for the gap in fare revenues from fare-free transit? Please list the alternative revenue sources that have replaced fares.
- What other revenue streams were considered, if any?
Community Support and Equity
- Was community outreach (polling, surveys, etc.) done in advance of the move to full or partial fare-free service?
Yes No Not sure Not applicable
If yes, what methods were used?
- Have there been follow-up outreach efforts about fares since going fully or partially fare-free?
Yes No Not sure Not applicable
If yes, what methods were used?
- How has the community responded to fare-free service?
Very supportive Supportive Neutral Not supportive Very unsupportive
Any details you would like to share?
- If applicable, how does the transit agency continue to promote the value of fare-free service to agency management, policymakers, stakeholders, and/or the community?
- Did the transit agency implement fare-free transit to achieve transit agency and/or community goals related to equity and affordability?
Yes No Not sure
Any details you would like to share?
- Has fare-free service affected equity and social outcomes in the community? If so, can you provide more information about how the outcomes were measured and the results?
The following questions ask about any changes and policies that were seen or anticipated because of new fare-free service. If the transit agency has always been partially or fully fare-free and is not considering, studying, or implementing additional fare-free service, skip to Q. 44.
Ridership Impacts
- Did the transit agency see a change in transit ridership after the implementation of fare-free service, or what change do you anticipate?
Increase in ridership No change in ridership Decrease in ridership Not sure
If ridership changed, by how much? An estimate is fine.
- Did you notice an increase or decrease in ridership of particular population groups, or what change do you anticipate (e.g., youth, university students, working-age adults, older adults, women, people of color, low-income people, people experiencing homelessness)?
- Did you see a change in passenger origins and destinations?
Yes No Not sure Not applicable
If yes, can you provide more detail?
- How do you accurately count passenger trips without fare payment? [select all that apply]
By drivers on paper By drivers with tablets or other digital technology Automatic Passenger Counters (APCs) Manual ride checks on a sampling of trips Other:
- How did you count passenger trips before fare-free service? [select all that apply]
By drivers on paper By drivers with tablets or other digital technology At the farebox
Automatic Passenger Counters (APCs)
Manual ride checks on a sampling of trips
Other
Not sure
Not applicable
- Did the transit agency notice changes to route and/or systemwide on-time performance (e.g., changes in boarding and dwell time, routes running on time more/less often, changes in on-time performance for known reliability trouble spots), or what change do you anticipate?
Improvement in on-time performance No change in on-time performance Deterioration in on-time performance Not sure
Any details to share?
- What positive and/or negative impacts (real or perceived) did passengers experience from fare-free implementation, or what impacts are anticipated?
- What positive and/or negative impacts (real or perceived) did drivers experience from fare-free implementation, or what impacts are anticipated?
Operational and Capital Impacts
- Did the transit agency make any changes to service after going fare-free, or what changes are anticipated?
Increased service Increased service unrelated to fare-free implementation No significant change to service Changes to service that did not require additional resources
Reduced service
Not sure
If there was a change, how much in revenue hours? An estimate is fine. If additional resources were not needed, can you provide more detail about the changes?
- Did the transit agency need to increase staffing because of going fare-free, or what changes are anticipated? [select all that apply]
Yes, administrative employees Yes, operations employees Yes, maintenance employees Yes, other employees No Not sure
If yes, how many staff members (full-time equivalents) did you have prior to implementation and how many additional staff did you hire? An estimate is fine.
- Did the transit agency purchase additional rolling stock and/or increase the peak fleet size because of the move to fare-free, or what changes are anticipated? [select all that apply]
Yes, additional fixed-route vehicles Yes, additional paratransit vehicles Yes, other additional vehicles No Not sure
If yes, how many additional vehicles (of each type)? An estimate is fine.
- Did the transit agency expand or purchase additional facilities because of going fare-free, or are changes anticipated?
Yes No Not sure
If yes, which facilities and what was the approximate value?
- Did the transit agency quantify fare administration and collection costs before the fare-free program started (e.g., pass sales, farebox maintenance, fare counting, accounting, facilities, administration, customer service, marketing)?
Yes No Not sure
- If yes, what were the costs for fare administration and collection before the fare-free program was implemented?
Year of evaluation:
Capital costs:
Operating costs:
Administrative costs:
- Were any operating practices or policies modified because of the fare change (e.g., consolidating bus stops), or are changes anticipated?
Yes No Not sure
Any details you would like to share?
Paratransit Impacts
- Was ridership on ADA complementary paratransit services impacted after fare-free implementation, or what impacts are anticipated?
Increase in ridership No change in ridership Decrease in ridership Not sure
If paratransit ridership was impacted, by how much? An estimate is fine.
- Was paratransit service impacted after fare-free implementation, or what impacts are anticipated?
Increase in revenue hours No change in revenue hours Decrease in revenue hours Not sure
If paratransit service was impacted, by how much in revenue hours? An estimate is fine.
- Did the transit agency implement any measures to keep paratransit costs down, or what measures are anticipated (e.g., tightening eligibility, implementing in-person eligibility assessments, changes to fixed-route service area and/or span)?
Enforcement and Security
- Did the transit agency have or implement any practices regarding non-destination fare-free passengers (e.g., people experiencing homelessness, teenagers), or does the transit agency anticipate implementing practices?
Yes No Not sure
If yes, can you provide details on the practices or policies?
- What change in security supports, if any, has the transit agency implemented, or will the transit agency implement because of fare-free transit?
Thank you!
- Are there any additional comments, learnings, or feedback you would like to provide?
Thank you for your time!
TCRP J-11/Task 39: EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR FARE-FREE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Survey of Transit Agencies without Fare-Free Service
Nelson\Nygaard has been retained by the Transportation Research Board/Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) to develop a framework for evaluating fare-free public transportation. The research will examine the benefits, costs, and tradeoffs that must be considered by public transit agencies, policymakers, and other stakeholders as they look towards full or partial elimination of fares. As part of this research, we are surveying transit agencies in two categories: (1) agencies that currently provide full or partial fare-free service and (2) agencies without existing fare-free service. This survey is directed to transit agencies in the second category. Although many transit agencies temporarily implemented fare-free service starting in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our research is only focusing on evaluating permanent fare-free service. If you have received the wrong survey, please contact our Principal Investigator, Cristina Barone, at cbarone@nelsonnygaard.com.
For the purposes of this research, we are defining partial fare-free transit agencies as those that:
- Allow specific groups of riders to use transit services for free based on age, disability, income, student status, or other eligibility criteria
- Provide fare-free service on specific transit routes or transit modes
The questions in this survey are designed to get an understanding of the factors that go into evaluation and implementation of fare free service. If you have the data available, we would appreciate information about ridership, on-time performance, service changes, capital investments, operating costs, fare collection costs, and transit agency revenues as they relate to fare-free transit at your agency. If detailed data is not available, estimates or opinions are sufficient. You are encouraged to collaborate with your transit agency colleagues to complete the survey. Individual names and titles will be anonymized prior to the publication of the framework, but survey responses may be associated with your transit agency.
Please complete and submit this survey by Friday, April 30th, 2021. If you have questions regarding this survey or the research project, please contact Cristina Barone at cbarone@nelsonnygaard.com. You may be contacted by Nelson\Nygaard after the survey is complete to help clarify your answers or obtain additional information.
About the Program
- Tell us about yourself:
Name of Transit Agency:
Respondent Name(s):
Respondent role(s):
Email Address(es):
Phone Number(s):
- Is it okay if the research team follows up with you in the coming months as we develop the evaluation framework?
Yes No
- Is the agency considering, studying, or implementing partial or fully fare-free service?
| Fully Fare-Free Service | Partial Fare-Free Service | |
|---|---|---|
| Not Considering | |
|
| Considering | |
|
| Studying | |
|
| Implementing | |
|
| Already Offer | |
|
| Studied; Chose Not to Implement | |
|
| Not Sure | |
|
| If the transit agency is NOT considering, studying, or implementing full or partial fare free service in the future skip to Q. 42. | ||
Agency Considering, Studying, or Implementing Fare-Free Service
Program Initiation
- What groups or services will / would become fare-free?
All riders and services Specific groups of riders Specific services, modes, or routes Not sure
What specific groups or services?
- When will the fare-free transit service be implemented? Start month and year:
Not applicable
- What are the reasons the transit agency is considering, studying, or implementing full or partial fare-free service?
- Did the transit agency establish goals and objectives that support fare-free service?
Yes No Not sure
If yes, what were the goals and objectives and how will fare-free service help the agency reach those goals?
- How is the transit agency planning or studying fare-free service? [select all that apply]
Feasibility study Fare-free pilot Best practices and/or peer agency review Other Not sure Not applicable
Any details you would like to share?
- What challenges (e.g., operational, administrative, or political) do you anticipate with initiating a fare-free program?
- What would have been / what would be helpful tools to assist in the implementation process for fare-free service?
Program Evaluation
- Has the transit agency developed an evaluation plan to measure success of the policy, or is the agency developing an evaluation plan?
Yes No Not sure
- If yes, what metrics are included in the program evaluation?
- What tools would be / have been helpful to assist in the evaluation process for fare-free service?
Funding
- What was your agency’s current farebox recovery ratio in 2019 (fare revenues over operating costs)?
- How will the transit agency make up for the gap in fare collection revenues from fare-free transit? Please list the alternative revenue sources that have replaced fares.
- What other revenue streams were considered / are being considered?
Community Support and Equity
- Has community outreach (polling, surveys, etc.) been done about full or partial fare-free service?
Yes No Not sure Not applicable
If yes, what methods were used?
- How has the community responded to the idea of fare-free service?
Very supportive Supportive Neutral Not supportive Very unsupportive
Any details you would like to share?
- If applicable, how is the transit agency promoting the value of fare-free service to agency management, policymakers, stakeholders, and/or the community?
- Is the transit agency considering, studying, or implementing fare-free transit to achieve transit agency and/or community goals related to equity and affordability?
Yes No Not sure
Any details you would like to share?
- How does the transit agency anticipate fare-free service will affect equity and social outcomes in the community?
Ridership Impacts
- What transit ridership change do you anticipate because of fare-free service?
Increase in ridership No change in ridership Decrease in ridership Not sure
If ridership changed, by how much? An estimate is fine.
- Do you anticipate an increase or decrease in ridership of particular population groups (e.g., youth, university students, working-age adults, older adults, women, people of color, people with low incomes, people experiencing homelessness)?
- How do you accurately count passenger trips now? [select all that apply]
By drivers on paper By drivers with tablets or other digital technology At the farebox Automatic Passenger Counters (APCs) Manual ride checks on a sampling of trips
Other
Not sure
Not applicable
- How will you accurately count passenger trips without fare payment? [select all that apply]
By drivers on paper By drivers with tablets or other digital technology Automatic Passenger Counters (APCs) Manual ride checks on a sampling of trips Other:
- Do you anticipate any changes to route and/or systemwide on-time performance (e.g., changes in boarding and dwell time, routes running on time more/less often, changes in on-time performance for known reliability trouble spots)?
Improvement in on-time performance No change in on-time performance Deterioration in on-time performance Not sure
Any details to share? Estimates are fine.
- What positive and/or negative impacts (real or perceived) of fare-free service for passengers do you anticipate?
- What positive and/or negative impacts (real or perceived) of fare-free service for drivers do you anticipate?
Operational and Capital Impacts
- Will the transit agency make any changes to service because of fare-free service?
Increase service Increase service unrelated to fare-free implementation
No significant change to service
Changes to service that did not require additional resources
Reduce service
Not sure
If the agency is making a change, by how much in revenue hours? An estimate is fine. If additional resources are not needed, can you provide more detail about the changes?
- Will the transit agency increase staffing because of going fare-free? [select all that apply]
Yes, administrative employees Yes, operations employees Yes, maintenance employees Yes, other employees No Not sure
If yes, how many staff members (full-time equivalents) do you have now and how many additional staff do you plan to hire? An estimate is fine.
- Will the transit agency purchase additional rolling stock and/or increase the peak fleet size because of fare-free service? [select all that apply]
Yes, additional fixed-route vehicles Yes, additional paratransit vehicles Yes, other additional vehicles No Not sure
If yes, how many additional vehicles (of each type)? An estimate is fine.
- Will the transit agency expand or purchase additional facilities because of going fare-free?
Yes No Not sure
If yes, which facilities and what is the approximate value?
- Do you currently quantify fare administration and collection costs (e.g., pass sales, farebox maintenance, fare counting, accounting, facilities, administration, customer service, marketing)?
Yes No Not sure
- If so, what are the costs for fare administration and collection?
Year of evaluation:
Capital costs:
Operating costs:
Administrative costs:
- Will any operating practices or policies be modified because of the fare change (e.g., consolidating bus stops)?
Yes No Not sure
Any details you would like to share?
Paratransit Impacts
- What ADA complementary paratransit ridership impact do you anticipate because of fare-free service?
Increase in ridership No change in ridership Decrease in ridership Not sure
By how much? An estimate is fine.
- What paratransit service impacts do you anticipate because of fare-free service?
Increase in revenue hours No change in revenue hours Decrease in revenue hours Not sure
By how much in revenue hours? An estimate is fine.
- Will the transit agency implement any measures to keep paratransit costs down (e.g., tightening eligibility, implementing in-person eligibility assessments, changes to fixed-route service area and/or span)?
Enforcement and Security
- Does the transit agency have or will the agency implement any practices regarding non-destination fare-free passengers (e.g., people experiencing homelessness, teenagers)?
Yes No Not sure
If yes, can you provide details on the practices or policies?
- What change in security supports, if any, will the transit agency implement because of fare-free service?
Thank you!
- Are there any additional comments, learnings, or feedback you would like to provide?
Thank you for your time!
Agency NOT Considering, Studying, or Implementing Fare-Free Service
- Has your agency ever offered full or partial fare-free service?
Yes, previously had fully fare-free service Yes, previously partial fare-free service. For what groups and/or what services? No
If so, why was fare-free service eliminated?
- What was your agency’s current farebox recovery ratio in 2019 (fare revenues over operating costs)?
- What are the reasons your is agency not considering fare-free service now? [select all that apply]
Agency depends on farebox revenues We have not found a feasible revenue stream to replace fares Policy restricts it (e.g., external farebox recovery mandates) It would be politically infeasible Would reduce the perceived value of transit Would encourage people to abuse the system Resulting increase in ridership would require additional service Other
Any details you would like to share?
- If the agency has studied fare-free service in the past, would you be willing to share more details or any outcomes of your transit agency’s work?
- What would have to happen to have decision makers at your transit agency consider going fully or partially fare-free?
- What would be helpful tools to assist in the evaluation and implementation process for moving to fare-free service?
Thank you!
- Are there any additional comments, learnings, or feedback you would like to provide?
Thank you for your time!
