LAUNCH OF TWO-YEAR, FARE-FREE PROGRAM FOR MBTA BUS ROUTES

Routes 23, 28, and 29 will be included

Mayor Michelle Wu announced on Feb. 10 that the City of Boston will be launching a two-year, fare-free program on MBTA bus Routes 23, 28, and 29 on March 1. The program will be an extension of the fare-free Route 28 pilot program and will eliminate fares on the other two routes mentioned. According to a media release, “fare-free buses enable all-door boarding, which eases congestion and speeds up bus service.” Riders still will be paying for transfers to other MBTA routes and services. The routes have some of the highest ridership throughout all of Boston. Route 23 serves over 100,000 monthly riders, while Route 28 saw 12,000 every day, after fares were eliminated in August 2021. As for Route 29, it “intersects with Route 28 and runs past Egleston Square Branch of the Boston Public Library, and several Boston Housing Authority developments, including the Franklin Field Apartments and the Doris Bunté Apartments.”

“Expanding fare-free transit to Routes 23, 28, 29 will better connect our communities, increase ridership, and ease congestion for all our residents,” said Wu. “As we work to ensure every resident knows about the program, we hope this is just the beginning of access to fare-free public transit in Boston. I’m thrilled to partner with the MBTA to expand this successful ongoing program and look forward to working with our partners across the Commonwealth to build a sustainable, reliable, accessible, and affordable transportation system that truly serves our residents and our local economy.”

“Today’s announcement is really exciting,” said Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge. “We plan to use these two years to learn how making transit free can affect peoples’ travel decisions, improve the performance of the bus itself, and bring additional benefits to riders and the communities along these routes.”

“We were pleased to collaborate with the City on the Route 28 pilot and now to expand the program to include these additional routes for the next two years,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “The benefits experienced by customers on the 28 are being expanded to a broader group of riders, and we appreciate the City of Boston’s willingness to make this happen by providing funding.”

SHIRA LAUCHAROEN

Shira Laucharoen is a reporter based in Boston. She currently serves as the assistant director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism. In the past she has written for Sampan newspaper, The Somerville Times, Scout Magazine, Boston Magazine, and WBUR.