Free bus, van and streetcar rides offered in Tucson since 2020 are set to end Dec. 31 unless the city finds new funding sources.
Carol Ann Alaimo The free rides are nearly over for Tucsonans who use public transit unless the city can find $9 million or so a year to keep them going.
The City Council is expected to vote next month on the future of the program funded until recently by federal COVID-19 relief grants now poised to expire. In Tucson, 60% of Sun Link streetcar riders and 20% of Sun Tran bus riders are UA students, Ward 6 councilman Steve Kozachik said at an Oct. 5 study session. UA student leaders have publicly pleaded with the City Council to keep the system free of charge for users, he noted.
Asked about the possibility of a larger contribution, Scott said “I don’t have anything to add at this time.” About 83% of bus drivers, 75% of streetcar operators and 89% of paratransit van drivers who responded said Tucson should go back to charging for rides, the study said. Tucson transit officials say they've already made improvements by adding extra security staffing to increase onboard safety.
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