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Free Public Transit Is Not a Climate Policy

Dropping the farebox on buses and trains can boost ridership and ease inequality. But the environmental case for making transit free is less clear.

A farebox is pulled from a bus in Lawrence, Massachusetts in February 2022 as the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority kicks off its fare-free bus service.

A farebox is pulled from a bus in Lawrence, Massachusetts in February 2022 as the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority kicks off its fare-free bus service.

Photographer: Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

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Throughout last February, the regional Utah Transit Authority paused fare collection. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall suggested that this “Fare Free February” would accomplish two goals at once: commemorating the 20th anniversary of Salt Lake City hosting the 2002 Winter Olympics while also reducing emissions in a region where air quality has been a longstanding concern.

A few weeks ago UTA issued a report that evaluated the month-long pilot. Average ridership rose sharply compared to January: 16.2% during weekdays and 58.1% and 32.5% during Saturdays and Sundays, respectively. “Far more people will take transit when cost is not a barrier,” Mayor Mendenhall tweeted as she shared the report. “I’m so excited about the possibilities this presents for our air quality.”