News & Blogs Maybe Buses Should Be Free?

[CXR1037]

http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2013/06/fares

It's not as crazy as it sounds. Fares bring in a lot of money, but they cost money to collect—6% of the MTA's budget, according to a 2007 report in New York magazine. Fare boxes and turnstiles have to be maintained; buses idle while waiting for passengers to pay up, wasting fuel; and everyone loses time. Proof-of-payment systems don't solve the problem of fare-collection costs as they require inspectors and other staff to handle enforcement, paperwork and payment processing. Making buses and subways free, on the other hand, would increase passenger numbers, opening up space on the streets for essential traffic and saving time by reducing road congestion.

To pay for it:

In New York, the idea of free buses and subways dates back to at least 1965, when Ted Kheel, a lawyer, first floated the idea—and pushed for a doubling of bridge and tunnel fares to make up for lost revenue.

cxR - the traveler in me says, "YES!"; the environmentalist in me says, "YES!"; the part of me annoyed by homebums says, "NO!"; all in all I think it should happen

 

[schmutz]

There are cities that have successfully implemented this. I would love to see it myself....except I currently rely on the city bus and commuter train and they are cutting bus lines due to lack of funding and our trains sat still for 3 months due to equipment failures. In this economy it just doesn't seem feasible

 

[Lake George]

Bus fares alleviate overcrowding. In some citys that have all night runs homeless end up living on those lines that run all night.

 

[schmutz]

When I had walking pneumonia as a teenager there was a bus driver that let me sleep in the back of the bus all night. Ain't nothing like a little compassion.

I'm sorry but your whole post REEKS of a really bad attitude. You may as well have said "OMG who will take care of the RIFF RAFF??!?"