Massachusetts legislators introduce bill to provide $5 billion annually for fare-free transit
(TRAINS: David Lassen)
U.S. Sen Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass) have reintroduced legislation supporting state and local efforts to create fare-free public transportation. The Freedom to Move Act, originally introduced in 2020, would award $5 billion annually for a five-year period for competitive grants to transit agencies, to cover the fare revenue lost by offering no-fare service. “Affordability and accessibility must define our public transit systems to ensure that they truly promote equity, economic growth, and community development,” Markey said in a press release, while Pressley said, “Public transportation is an essential public good, but for too long, we have not funded it like one. … The Freedom to Move Act invests heavily in our public transit systems so that states and localities can offer safe, high-quality, and fare-free rides to all to ensure everyone in the community can access jobs, food and essential services.” The complete bill is available here.
Alabama senator calls on Amtrak to complete traffic study on Gulf Coast route
U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) has called on Amtrak to resume a traffic study on its proposed Gulf Coast service, saying in a letter to the CEOs of Amtrak, CSX Transportation, and Norfolk Southern he believes the study is essential to determine the impact of the two daily round trips between New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., on freight service and port activity in Mobile. AL.com reports Shelby wrote, “It is my hope that all parties involved can come to an amicable solution to ensure the study is completed.” Amtrak withdrew from the study, saying there was no end in sight because of changes to its parameters by the freight railroads, and asked the Surface Transportation Board to intervene in its effort to resume service on a route that last saw passenger trains in 2005 [see “Amtrak asks STB to require CSX, NS to allow Gulf Coast Service,” Trains News Wire, March 16, 2021]. Shelby has been a major supporter of the Port of Mobile, which has voiced concerns about the prospect the passenger operation could interfere with freight service to the port.
Amtrak employee in serious but stable condition after on-job injury
A 62-year-old Amtrak employee was reported in serious but stable condition after being injured at the railroad’s maintenance facility in Wilmington, Del., on Tuesday. The website First State Update reports the Wilmington Fire Department and paramedics were called to the facility shortly before noon on Tuesday, and treated the man for injuries to his lower extremities after being injured by a piece of equipment. Initial reports say the worker was trapped by a train wheel.
Fare collection isn’t free
Did not Portland have free public transit in the downtown area only to start charging again?
Highway Trust Fund deficit = over $100 billion transferred from the general fund since 2008 to keep it solvent due to no increases in gas tax… so who is really getting a “free lunch”???
5 billion annually for 5 years comes out to 25 billion. Kind of like playing a shell game with this news. But what the hell, it’s other peoples money isn’t it?
Nothing in life is free, but I would like to see the cost to take public transit go down. I’m not advocating for it to cost nothing, but a little less than what it does now would be nice
The Mass Transit system in Massachusetts used to be one of the lowest costing one in the country and then because of mismanagement they kept raising rates, so ridership has decreased. They were always looking for a Government handout to fix their issues.
Amtrak’s biggest issue outside of they are late more than on-time is they don’t own most of the tracks they ride on and are at the mercy of the freight railroads like CSX, BNSF, NS, and others.
This certainly makes more sense then reinstituting tax breaks for the martini lunch or not charging what the market will bear for mining and drilling on public lands. Yet providing free fares without adequate support for the transit providers, including meeting any increased demand– if it occurs-and expansion of systems does not make sense either
In an economics class the professor told us about Communist Poland starting free rides on Warsaw’s bus system. The system was quickly overwhelmed by riders, so the government had to start charging fares again (first lesson in economics is the supply and demand curves). It’s so refreshing that so many of our government experts know absolutely nothing about simple economics.
That’s actually the purpose of providing free transit…what Poland failed to do was expand the number of busses to handle the additional traffic…reinstituting fares wasn’t the correct solution.
will we need as much transit AFTER covid?
Gov. Blagojevich tried that in Illinois for Seniors and Handicapped individuals. Good idea but a disaster.
I remember many years ago in my area they instituted a zero fare on the local bus system. It attracted significant numbers of teenagers who while riding the busses were also vandalizing them.
Never forget the TANSTAAFL principle -there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.
More activity initiated by the “Income Redistribution Party”