Fare Free Public Transportation: A full-scale, real-world experiment in Alexandria (VA)
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Author/Creator
Date
2023-08
Type of Work
Department
Urban Mobility & Equity Center
Program
Citation of Original Publication
Rights
©Morgan State University, 2023. Non-exclusive rights are retained by the U.S. DOT.
Public Domain Mark 1.0
Public Domain Mark 1.0
Abstract
The Fare Free Public Transportation (FFPT) concept is a common part of the agenda
among transit agencies and state and federal policy makers. The subject is particularly
important in the post-pandemic period, as transit use is slowly recovering but has not yet
reached pre-pandemic ridership and market share. FFPT has been implemented in Europe
and to a certain degree in the USA; however, there are very few studies that have
effectively collected data and evaluated the consequences with respect to its
implementation. This study monitored a full-scale, real-world FFPT plan implemented in
Alexandria, VA in the Fall of 2021, separating respondents into treatment and control
groups. Descriptive statistics indicated minimal disparity between the treatment and
control groups across most socio-demographic variables. Notably, residents of
Alexandria exhibit a higher propensity to use buses compared to the control group, both
prior to and post-policy implementation. Regarding awareness of the policy, a majority
of respondents were uninformed, while the policy's impact is more pronounced among
those who were aware. Around 32% of respondents increased their bus usage following
FFPT implementation, with approximately 80% of this subset utilizing buses more
frequently than before. This policy evaluation is relevant not only to Alexandria, but to
many stakeholders across the country that are considering similar policies in other cities.