Fare-Free Phila: LCTA is all ‘pump’ed up by an increase in ridership | The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre & Scranton PA

Sunday, May 1, 2011

These riders get ready to board an LCTA bus at the intermodal center with more people opting for mass transit due to gas costs.

Pete G. Wilcox/The Times Leader

LCTA is all ‘pump’ed up by an increase in ridership | The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre & Scranton PA: "According to ridership reports from the Luzerne County Transportation Authority, there were 4.7 percent more people riding county buses in the first three months of 2011 than in the first three months of 2010."

Removing fares saves millions

Increased return on investment. Public transit involves large fixed costs. When fares are gone, there are more riders per vehicle, getting more value from the investment.
Reduced parking costs. With free transit, fewer people will park downtown. City parking authorities can cost $180 million a year, paid by fines, which are just a tax on customers and delivery services.
Reduced traffic congestion. Studies have shown that the time lost in traffic costs urban economies hundreds of millions of dollars.
Less money exported for gasoline. A medium sized city can export 1 million dollars a day in gasoline money for cars. Free buses will reduce this considerably.
Better quality of life, priceless. In Hasselt, Belgium, when fares were removed, people in hospital started receiving more visitors.

Fare-Free Phila