Commuters in Washington, D.C., can expect to see free bus service throughout the district as soon as next summer, thanks to a bill that passed through the city council earlier this week with unanimous support.
Lawmakers passed the Metro for D.C. bill during the council’s final meeting of the year on Tuesday, approving a number of changes to help boost the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority as the agency grapples with revenue losses due to fare evasion. The vote marks a significant change for the district, making it the first major city in the country to offer free bus service for all its residents.
Additionally, the bill will provide a $100 monthly subsidy to district residents to go toward transportation costs, including the Metrorail and WMATA buses located outside the district. That provision is expected to take effect in 2024. "Free transit sounds great, but Metro is part of a compact," Bowser said in early December."And we are a one-third payer in that compact. So if you ask me about free bus, I think, you know, we're going to be paying, and Maryland and Virginia need to be paying."
“Now that we’re recovering from the pandemic, it’s clear this would be a win for riders, a win for DC’s businesses, and a win for WMATA,” Allen said earlier this month. “Making the bus fare free for all of DC is the type of transformational change that we can lead, with a focus on equity and economic recovery. It’ll make a difference keeping buses moving faster on our streets and in the monthly budgets of thousands of DC families.
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