"Community-powered, publicly-financed, future-facing progressive for Portland Mayor"

These aren't campaign slogans to me: I've been in this lane and have no plans to move out of it 👇 #UpWithRiders #FarefreeTransit #OurPortland https://t.co/KVhHvFXqNZ

— #13seconds (@sarahforpdx) December 11, 2019

Social media and blogs speaking up with support for #KCMO #freetransit decision

Supporters of the measure on social media pointed out that free public transit could have positive impacts on economic inequality, the city’s efforts to fight the climate crisis, and mass incarceration—as other cities, like New York, are cracking down on public transit fare evasion […]

https://stuartbramhall.wordpress.com/2019/12/08/now-lets-do-this-everywhere-kansas-city-missouri-approves-free-public-transit-for-all/

If Kansas City can do it...

Wow! Groundbreaking news! Today Kansas City City Council voted to became the first major U.S. city to have fare-free public transit. The proposal will take effect next year. Perhaps @trimet should be encouraged to look into this! #orpol https://t.co/pQOHNngNyw

— Patrick Maguire 🤓 (@OregonPatrick) December 6, 2019

Authorities are clearly trying to make using #publictransit as unpleasant as possible

pic.twitter.com/VhyQGifHK7

— Laura Vanderlyn (@vndlynArt) November 25, 2019

Should Seattle-area passengers ride public transit for free?

Advocates in Seattle have called for eliminating the $2.75 fare for King County Metro buses and the $2.25 to $3.25 fares for Sound Transit light rail.
Those calls grew louder after Sound Transit data showed black passengers get cited and punished disproportionately for evading fares compared to other racial groups. Sound Transit is reviewing its fare-enforcement policies. (You can share your fare-enforcement experiences with Traffic Lab at st.news/fareenforcementsurvey.)
...
In 2013, the Estonian capital of Tallinn, with a population of 400,000, made its transit system free. Paris began researching a free-transit plan last year.
The Chapel Hill Transit agency in North Carolina has been fare-free since 2002, and the idea has been floated in Denver and Salt Lake City. In Washington’s Thurston County, officials at Intercity Transit have also proposed to make bus rides free starting Jan. 1.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/ask-an-expert-kansas-city-is-exploring-free-transit-should-seattle/ 

Wow! Kansas City Mayor spills the beans on subsidy and racism!

Quinton Lucas: A few years ago in Kansas City, we brought back our streetcar system. It’s a short route that runs into downtown. We made all rides free. The area where the streetcar is is a higher-income, majority white, gentrified area. That started the talk of why are we subsidizing free rides to people making good money, but the clientele on the bus system in the largely black parts of town are still forced to pay?

...Lucas: Fares cover about $8 million a year, but we lose $1.5 million in collecting fares. The shortfall is about $6 million, and we can find that in the budget. The streetcar took $2 million from buses to [get the project started]. It was necessary startup funding in 2014, but in 2019 and 2020 it’s not.

The other step is improving how we spend money to stimulate economic development. After the recession, national firms came to us and said we’ll invest in downtown, but in exchange we need real guarantees and asked us to subsidize parking-garage costs. [In the last 10 years] taxpayers spent about $100 million subsidizing parking garages for these companies. 

...Lucas: We’ve crunched the numbers. Finding a few million in a large city budget is not that hard. We can wax poetic about fairness and equity in workforce opportunity, but there’s nothing more clear to me than saying, “Let’s help people, for many of whom $2,000 will make a world of difference.”

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/ask-an-expert-kansas-city-is-exploring-free-transit-should-seattle/ 

Tacoma, WA, high schools - #freetransit

Big (Happy, Happy) Announcement: Free bus passes for ALL Tacoma Public Schools high school students. @tacomaschools @TacomaCreates @CityofTacoma @PierceTransit pic.twitter.com/u51yRk7zqW

— Kenny Coble 🌹 コーブル健 (@KennyCoble) November 25, 2019

IntercityTransit in Olympia going to fare-free

Starting Jan. 1st, @intercitytransi will become the nation's largest fare-free transit system. #FreeTransit https://t.co/rgAd0sjsjb

— Transit Riders Union (@SeattleTRU) November 19, 2019

Bus service in Thurston County, WA, decides that #freeischeaper

One year after voters approved a sales tax increase to fund major changes at Thurston County’s public transportation agency, officials at Intercity Transit are proposing to stop collecting fares and make bus rides free starting Jan. 1. 

The change would apply to bus service and Dial-A-Lift, a door-to-door service for people with disabilities. Fares now range from $0.50 to $3 depending on who is riding and where they are going. 

Those fares net less than 2 percent of IT’s operating revenue. Meanwhile, IT’s fare collection boxes need to be replaced. The agency says it looked at switching to a card-based payment system but most cost at least $1 million to introduce.

https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article237257744.html 

Street Roots editorial: Time to explore fare-free public transit in Portland

Street Roots vendor Mark Rodriguez, who has an Honored Citizen pass for TriMet, was fined $175 because he forgot to tap his card before he got on a MAX train. He showed his receipt for Honored Citizen card but was still fined. Mark said he’s going to fight the ticket. It means time and emotional labor he cannot afford. (Street Roots photo) 

Mobility is everything. The ability to get from point A to B means getting to a job, securing food, and accessing education, health care or assistance in any form. In a larger sense, it means the vibrancy of a community and the fulfillment of commerce. It is a fundamental element of a successful region like the Portland metro area.
And it’s time for us to explore what it would mean to have a fareless public transit system.
This proposition has major implications – economic, social and environmental – for riders and nonriders alike, which should be considered when deciding the future course of our region’s mobility.

First and foremost, we have to stop thinking of it as a radical idea. It’s not.

https://news.streetroots.org/2019/11/09/sr-editorial-time-explore-fare-free-public-transit-portland

Oil industry wants to make public transit as unpleasant as possible

Thread: This morning, Street Roots vendor Mark Rodriguez arrived at the office for the Friday morning new paper meeting angry and confused. Yesterday he received a $175 citation for failure to pay a fare on the Max train.

— Street Roots (@StreetRoots) November 8, 2019

Over 400,000 vote against reducing car fees

Time to #taxbigbusiness for #freetransit. They're going to regret tonight. pic.twitter.com/9zSA1YTXhV

— Transit Riders Union (@SeattleTRU) November 6, 2019

Seattle Transit Riders Union

We had a great time celebrating last night with Access riders, @discommunityhub, Washington ADAPT West and Stop Veolia Seattle! Thanks @yussuf58 for taking some great photos including this one. #DisabilityRights #AccessForAll #FreeTransit pic.twitter.com/fudsddbZCA

— Transit Riders Union (@SeattleTRU) October 31, 2019

More on Trimet ratio - people are tired of racism and poor-shaming

Actually, @trimet, we can't see whether people have paid their fare or not; that's only apparent once fare inspectors (illegally) conduct checks.

What's frustrating is watching the people who need transit most having their lives upended for lacking $2.50https://t.co/mvCAFq2dpc https://t.co/zYxRsAMNc7

— Sarah Iannarone (she/her) (@sarahforpdx) October 22, 2019

So many great replies in the Trimet Twitter #ratio, a must-read thread

We've all seen it: somebody driving an SUV not paying for the CO2 they produce.

It's frustrating, especially when you're using transit — complaints about destroying the world with climate change are among the most common that we should actually care about.

— Christian Kaylor (@KaylorChristian) October 22, 2019

Trimet gets owned on Twitter - read the replies

We've all seen it: somebody not paying their fare.

It's frustrating, especially when you've paid yours — complaints about people hopping on board without paying are among the most common we get. (1/4)

— TriMet (@trimet) October 22, 2019

"Make all public transit free"

Portland has potential in leading the country by making all public transit free. @trimet, it’s time.#ChooseAFighter ✊🏿✊🏽✊🏻 pic.twitter.com/6Y2d00JlzW

— Albert Lee For Congress 🌹 (@AlbertLee2020) September 21, 2019

#upwithriders

https://www.opalpdx.org/2019/08/riders-envision-upwithriders-at-july-bru-meeting/

Oil trolls in Seattle trying to make riding #publictransit uncomfortable, scaring students.

Just abolish fare.

Instead of encouraging use of a safe & sustainable mode (transit), we've set up an elaborate, complex payment system that results in routine harassment of many riders and punishment of those who can't pay or make a mistake. https://t.co/ECYQWcsuYp

— Laura Goodfellow 🚌🏃🏼‍♀️ (@transitrunner) September 4, 2019

Letters: Use tolls to make public transportation free

Portland screams about traffic, environmental impact and gentrification, however the chosen methods to mitigate these negative outcomes seem to maintain the status quo (inequality) rather than introducing something progressive like free public transport. 

I own a car and pay relatively high rent. I cannot afford to buy public transportation tickets, too, so I do not ride public transportation. If it was free, I'd be using it.

https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/10-opinion/436312-347353-letters-use-tolls-to-make-public-transportation-free 

Salt Lake mayoral candidate calls for fare-free #publictransit

Jim Dabakis, a candidate for the mayoralty of Salt Lake City, is currently leading the polls - thanks in no small part to his promise to do away with fees for public transport. A recent poll by the Salt Lake City tribune found that residents of the city favour the idea by a ratio of three to one.

The move is designed to decrease carbon emissions by incentivising the public from using private cars. Dabakis has argued that the money lost from fares could be offset by money saved on improving public roads.
...
The city has already trialled free transit days, a move which saw a footfall increase of 16% on those days.

https://www.joe.ie/life-style/us-city-size-dublin-verge-making-public-transport-free-677794 

Please join us this Friday, March 22 from 1:00 to 2:00 PM at Seattle City Hall to demand @SeattleCouncil pass a local #GreenNewDeal resolution.

Our resolution calls for: free public transportation, publicly-owned affordable housing, & divestment from @PSETalk#FridaysForFuture pic.twitter.com/53OcdDd0EI

— Joe Mangan🌹 (@DailyLeftist) March 20, 2019

Seattle city council candidate calls for #freetransit

Counterproposal: We make transit free.

Not just during the “period of maximum constraint.”

Not just for seniors and youths.

But for everyone. Forever.

Is Seattle a leading city on climate justice, or just interested in a “Green” rebrand for earth-killing capitalists? https://t.co/uD5aod6mdC

— 🌹Shaun Scott for District 4🌹 (@ElectScott2019) December 20, 2018

Fare-free #publictransit suggestion for Seattle area

As a community, Seattle has been struggling with numerous issues like income equality, our world-class congestion, and the regressive nature of our tax system. One way to effectively deal with these issues is by implementing a fare-free transit system.
A fare-free system can quickly and significantly allow low-income people to have more disposable income, reduce traffic congestion by getting more commuters on buses, and reduce the regressive nature of our high sales taxes.

https://www.theurbanist.org/2018/12/27/the-case-for-making-transit-free-and-how-to-pay-for-it/?