Sustaining Zero-Fare Public Transit in a Post COVID-19 World: A Guide for State DOTs

The objective of this research is to develop a guide for state DOTs and their partners on evaluating and implementing sustainable zero-fare transit. Topics to be addressed include:   (1) Implementation of zero-fare transit in the United States; (2) The role of state DOTs in developing zero-fare transit policies; (3) Strategies for supporting a transition from a shorter term, zero-fare pilot to a long-term zero-fare policy; (4) Characteristics that promote long-term sustainability of zero-fare operations; (5) A method to evaluate the costs and benefits of zero-fare transit; (6) A practitioner-ready tool for use in applying the method; and (7) Effectively communicating the results of the evaluation to transportation decision-makers, regional and local governments, communities, and other stakeholders.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5159
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $300000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 19-19

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Project Managers:

  Brooks, Mike

• Performing Organizations:

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI)

  400 Harvey Mitchell Parkway South
  Suite 300
  College Station, TX  United States  77845-4375
• Principal Investigators:

  Cline, James C

• Start Date: 20220919
• Expected Completion Date: 20240618
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; COVID-19; Free fares; Guidelines; Policy analysis; Public health; Public transit; Ridership; State departments of transportation
• Subject Areas: Finance; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01773376
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 19-19
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 27 2021 4:35PM