Should public transit be a free service? One city just said yes.

Nov 9, 2023
Albuquerque, New Mexico, makes its free-bus-fare experiment permanent. In many cities, though, riders value quality of service over cost.
Investments in the quality of transit are more likely to boost ridership than low-cost or free fares, says Sarah Kaufman of NYU.
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Community college students without cars can face transportation challenges

Oct 21, 2022
In New England, not all campuses are accessible by public transportation.
Roxbury Community College student Kiara Rosario asks an Orange Line shuttle driver whether there’s room for her on board.
Kirk Carapezza/GBH

With bus drivers in short supply, one local transit authority seeks a hiring solution

Oct 13, 2022
Miami-Dade County is trying to lure and train new bus operators using bonuses.
Jaime Sanchez has been a bus operator with Miami-Dade County for about 20 years. Miami-Dade County has a critical need to hire new bus operators to launch an improved system.
Verónica Zaragovia/WLRN

Public transit could get a boost from high gas prices

Mar 10, 2022
Bus and train ridership has dipped since the start of the pandemic. High fuel prices, spurred in part by the war in Ukraine, may change that.
With gasoline prices reaching record highs, many people are on board with public transportation.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Albuquerque’s bus system starts zero-fare experiment for 2022

Jan 4, 2022
At more than 500,000 residents, Albuquerque, New Mexico is the largest city in the U.S. to experiment with zero-fare transit.
Cities across the country have used pandemic relief funds to pay for no-fare transit.
Alex Wong via Getty Images

Transit systems struggle to find enough bus drivers

Jan 4, 2022
Some drivers are retiring, others are going to work for commercial delivery services.
Higher wages from private competitors and a workforce near retirement has led to a bus driver shortage. Above, a Detroit bus driver poses for a portrait in 2020.
Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images

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How the infrastructure bill aims to tackle climate change

Aug 11, 2021
Among other ways, it would upgrade the power grid and support electric cars and public transit.
The bipartisan legislation includes funding for electric vehicle charging stations and eco-friendly public transit options.
Dan Kitwood via Getty Images

Public transit tries to lure riders back with reduced fares, other incentives

Jul 12, 2021
Across the country, ridership is still way below pre-pandemic levels.
Passengers at a Bay Area Rapid Transit station in San Francisco. Despite the economy reopening, public transit use is still down dramatically in many metropolitan areas.
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images

Paris experiments with driverless shuttle service

May 10, 2021
The transport authority uses an autonomous vehicle to bring people to a park. The free weekend service offers a glimpse of the future.
The Paris transit authority tests a driverless vehicle in 2016. An autonomous shuttle has been taking people to the Bois de Vincennes on weekends since January.
Eric Feferberg/AFP via Getty Images