{"id":525495,"date":"2022-12-12T12:18:38","date_gmt":"2022-12-12T09:18:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/dc-unveils-bold-plan-to-boost-public-transit\/"},"modified":"2022-12-12T12:18:38","modified_gmt":"2022-12-12T09:18:38","slug":"dc-unveils-bold-plan-to-boost-public-transit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dc-unveils-bold-plan-to-boost-public-transit\/","title":{"rendered":"#DC unveils bold plan to boost public transit"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a29f7ac80a43\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a29f7ac80a43\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/dc-unveils-bold-plan-to-boost-public-transit\/#%E2%80%9CDC_unveils_bold_plan_to_boost_public_transit%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;DC unveils bold plan to boost public transit&#8221;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CDC_unveils_bold_plan_to_boost_public_transit%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;DC unveils bold plan to boost public transit&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module alignleft\">\n        <\/aside>\n<p>The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare for the District of Columbia and other major cities that\u00a0public transit\u00a0was a lifeline for essential workers and that even modest fares could be a burden to them. So the nation\u2019s capital is introducing a groundbreaking plan: It will begin offering free bus fares to residents next summer.<\/p>\n<p>Other cities, including Los Angeles and Kansas City, Missouri, suspended fare collection during the height of the\u00a0pandemic\u00a0to minimize human contact and ensure that residents with no other <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> options could reach jobs and services at hospitals, grocery stores and offices.<\/p>\n<p>But D.C.\u2018s permanent free fare plan will be by far the biggest, coming at a time when major cities including\u00a0Boston\u00a0and\u00a0Denver\u00a0and states such as\u00a0Connecticut\u00a0are considering broader zero-fare policies to improve equity and help regain ridership that was lost with the rise of remote and hybrid work. Los Angeles instituted free fares in 2020 before recently resuming charging riders. Lately LA Metro has been\u00a0testing a fare-c<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ing plan\u00a0under which transit riders pay for trips until they hit a fixed dollar amount and then ride free after that, though\u00a0new Mayor Karen Bass\u00a0has suggested\u00a0support for permanently abolishing the fares.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655111372-copy.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"Bus in DC.\" class=\"wp-image-24978941\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655111372-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655111372-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655111372-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Bus fairs will be waved in DC on July 1, 2022.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Analysts say D.C.\u2019s free fare system offers a good test case on how public transit can be reshaped for a post-pandemic future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf D.C. demonstrates that it increases ridership, it reduces the cost burden for people who are lower income and it improves the quality of transit service in terms of speed of bus service, and reduces cars on the road, this could be a roaring success,\u201d said Yonah Freemark, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute. \u201cWe just don\u2019t know yet whether that would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The $2 fares will be waived for riders boarding Metrobuses within the city limits beginning around July 1. In unanimously approving the plan last week, the D.C. Council also agreed to expand bus service to 24 hours on 12 major routes downtown, benefiting nightlife and service workers who typically had to rely on costly ride-share to get home after the Metro subway and bus system closed at night.<\/p>\n<p>A new $10 million fund devoted to annual investments in D.C. bus lanes, shelters and other improvements was also approved to make rides faster and more reliable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe District is ready to be a national leader in the future of public transit,\u201d said D.C. Councilmember Charles Allen, who first proposed free fares in 2019 and says the program can be fully paid-for with surplus D.C. tax revenue. Roughly 85% of bus riders are D.C. residents. The Metro system also serves neighboring suburbs in Maryland and Virginia.<\/p>\n<p>About 68% of D.C. residents who take the bus have household incomes below $50,000, and riders are disproportionately Black and Latino compared with Metrorail passengers, according to the council\u2019s budget analysis.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655107727-copy.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"People boarding bus.\" class=\"wp-image-24978942\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655107727-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655107727-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655107727-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>Not everyone is for the free transit rides in the capital of the nation. <\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Not everyone is a fan.<\/p>\n<p>Peter Van Doren, a senior fellow at the D.C.-based Cato Institute, said the plan risks high costs and mixed results, noting that the opportunity to improve ridership may be limited because bus passengers have been quicker to return to near pre-pandemic levels. He said government subsidies to help lower-income people buy cars would go farther because not everyone has easy access to public transit, which operates on fixed routes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe beauty of automobiles is they can go anywhere and everywhere in a way that transit does not,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t know the subset of low-income people in D.C. where transit is a wonderful option as opposed to not such a wonderful option.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The council\u2019s move, which will be finalized in a second vote later this month, came over the concerns of\u00a0D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who supports the concept of free fares but raised questions about the $42 million annual cost over the long term. \u201cDistrict residents and taxpayers will have to pay for this program,\u201d she wrote in a letter to council members. \u201cOur neighbors, Virginia and Maryland, should absorb some of these costs as their residents will benefit from this program as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Allen also had proposed a $100 monthly transit benefit for D.C. residents to access the Metrorail system, but shelved the plan until at least fall 2024 due to the $150 million annual estimated cost. He described free bus fares as a \u201cwin-win-win\u201d for the District because they will help the transit system recover and offer affordable, green-friendly travel while boosting economic activity downtown.<\/p>\n<p>The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, which currently\u00a0faces a budget deficit of $185 million, part of which it attributes to fare evasion, praised the plan as \u201cbold.\u201d It said it looked forward to working with the city council, mayor and regional stakeholders \u201ctoward our goal of providing more accessible and equitable service for our customers.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655072335-copy.jpg?w=1024\" alt=\"people getting on a SC bus.\" class=\"wp-image-24978944\" srcset=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655072335-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1535 1536w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655072335-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all 1024w, https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/AP22341655072335-copy.jpg?quality=75&amp;strip=all&amp;w=512 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"\/><figcaption>In 2019, fares made up over 40% of total transit revenue there\u00a0but have since slid to 25% since the pandemic.<\/figcaption><figcaption><span class=\"credit\">AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Nationwide, while transit ridership has returned to about 79% of pre-pandemic levels, that figure varies widely by region. In New York City, for instance, MTA chief executive Janno Lieber has suggested that city and state governments step up to pay for trains and buses more like essential public services, such as a fire department, citing millions of transit riders he believes may never come back. In 2019, fares made up over 40% of total transit revenue there\u00a0but have since slid to 25%, leading to an\u00a0anticipated $2.5 billion deficit in 2025\u00a0along with the risk of soon using up the transportation authority\u2019s federal COVID relief funds.<\/p>\n<p>In D.C., where bus fares amount to a modest 7% of total transit operating revenues, the transit agency may be able to more easily absorb losses from zero fares, said Art Guzzetti, the American Public Transportation Association\u2019s vice president of mobility initiatives and public policy. He noted savings for city taxpayers from speeding up boarding, which could allow for more routes and stops, as well as reducing traffic congestion and eliminating the need for transit enforcement against fare evaders.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, D.C. bus ridership stands at about 74% of pre-pandemic levels on weekdays compared to 40% for Metrorail.<\/p>\n<p>Still, free fares can be a tough choice for cities. \u201cIf the consequence of a zero-fare program is you have less funds to invest in frequent service, then you\u2019re going backwards,\u201d Guzzetti said.<\/p>\n<p>In Kansas City, which began\u00a0offering zero-fares\u00a0for its buses in March 2020 and has no planned end date, officials said the program has helped boost ridership, which has risen by 13% in 2022 so far compared with the previous year. The free fares amount to an $8 million revenue loss, with the city paying for more than half of that and federal COVID aid covering the rest through 2023, said Cindy Baker, interim vice president for the\u00a0Kansas City Area Transportation Authority,\u00a0who describes the program as a success.<\/p>\n<p>The program has eliminated altercations between passengers and bus drivers over fares, although there have been more instances of passenger disputes due to an increase in homeless riders, according to the agency. Baker said the transit agency has been adding security in response to some rider complaints.<\/p>\n<p>Ch\u00e9 Ruddell-Tabisola, director of government affairs for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, cheered free fares as a much-needed economic boost, showing D.C.\u2019s commitment to the well-being of late-night bartenders and restaurant workers needing an affordable way home.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of industries have moved on from the pandemic, but for D.C.\u2019s bars and restaurants, the pandemic is still happening everyday,\u201d he said, citing the effects of hybrid work, inflation, gun violence and other factors that have hollowed out the downtown. \u201cAnything that helps encourage diners to get to downtown D.C. and enjoy the world-class dining and entertainment we have is a great thing.\u201d\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2022\/12\/12\/dc-unveils-bold-plan-to-boost-public-transit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;DC unveils bold plan to boost public transit&#8221; The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare for the District of Columbia and other major cities that\u00a0public transit\u00a0was a lifeline for essential workers and that even modest fares could be a burden to them. So the nation\u2019s capital is introducing a groundbreaking plan: It will begin offering free bus&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":525496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/12\/newspress-collage-24978938-1670835471984.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&1670817511&w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[137115,74496,70767],"class_list":["post-525495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-12-12-22","tag-public-transportation","tag-washington-dc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=525495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/525495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/525496"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=525495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=525495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=525495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}