Sustaining Zero-Fare Public Transit in a Post COVID-19 World: A Guide for State DOTs (2024)
Chapter: 8 Conclusions and Future Research
CHAPTER 8
Conclusions and Future Research
The COVID-19 pandemic (and its associated relief program funding) provided the means to implement fare-free transit services on a broad scale in order to minimize disease transmission for transit operators and those who needed to use transit services to meet essential travel needs. Because those funds are no longer available, state DOTs and transit agencies face tough challenges going forward. The need to rebuild ridership and meet the transportation equity needs of communities is balanced against the fiscal challenges of lost fare revenue and potentially increased costs. This research—based on a review of current literature, outreach to state DOTs and transit agencies, and the experience of the research team—captured many of the lessons learned and successful measures to mitigate the impacts of fare-free transit services and developed a means to systematically evaluate fare-free transit service options. This agnostic approach supports informed decision-making in what can be a highly charged environment. The knowledge assembled herein will provide policymakers and their staff the ability to ask the right questions and to make choices with full knowledge of the positive and negative aspects of fare-free transit services.
Areas for possible future research include the following:
- The collection of additional data regarding full and especially partial fare-free transit service experiences from implementing agencies. These data are especially important as funding streams and ridership trends further change in the post-pandemic environment.
- The potential for full and partial fare-free policies in larger agencies. Fare revenue is critical to larger agencies and, in most cases, data are lacking.
- The potential to provide environmental benefits and the required steps to increase the mode shift from automobiles to transit.
- The effectiveness of socially based fare-free policies (targeting veterans, older adults, children, low-income individuals, and so forth), as well as their impact on operations.
- The application of fare-free policies in emerging transportation modes that serve as last-mile connections and alternatives to traditional modes. These modes include e-scooters, bikes, rideshare services, and ultimately, autonomous vehicles—many of which may be provided outside of the individual transit agency.
