U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) announced Monday they had reintroduced their legislation for fare-free transit services.
The Freedom to Move Act would support state and local efforts to enact fare-free rides that would establish public transportation as a public good, strengthen transit safety and quality, and close the transit equity gap.
“Our country’s public transit system must be made accessible and affordable so that everyone can get to work, school, the grocery store, and other critical services in their day-to-day lives,” Markey said. “When we support state and local efforts to embed economic and climate justice into our transit system with fare-free service, we ensure that the transit needs of low-income workers and families, people of color, seniors, and people with disabilities are met.”
The legislation would establish a $25 billion competitive grant program over five years to support fare-free public transportation systems while investing in efforts to improve public transportation’s safety and quality and ensure grantees use the funds to address equity gaps in current transit systems.
“Public transportation is meant to provide folks with the mobility and freedom to access critical services, but as the past few years have shown us, far too many people in the Massachusetts 7th and across the country lack the safe, reliable, and affordable transit service that they deserve,” Pressley said. “We have made real strides in making the case for public transit as a public good, but our work is far from over. At every level of government, we must finally make the robust investments necessary to restore riders’ confidence in the T and promote public transit nationwide as the public good that it is. Our bill would build on the success of fare-free pilot programs in the Commonwealth by providing safe, high-quality, and fare-free rides for all and ensuring that everyone can access jobs, goods, and essential services like education and health care–all while reducing traffic congestion and emissions.”
The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). It is supported by a number of organizations, including Action 4 Equity, Alternatives for Community and Environment, Bikes Not Bombs, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, LiveableStreets Alliance, Transit Matters, and Transport Workers Union, among others.