Boston City Council Approves $8M To Expand Free Fare Bus Program

BOSTON, MA — The Boston City Council voted nearly unanimously Wednesday to budget $8 million in federal pandemic funding to provide free bus rides for neighborhoods hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic for the next two years.

In August, councilors approved a three-month pilot program that provides free fares on the 28 bus. In Wednesday’s 12-1 council vote, the council extended the free fare program and added two more buses – the 23 and 29 – to the program, Boston.com reported.

The lone no vote was cast by Frank Baker, who called devoting the $8 million in pandemic funding a liability.

The three bus lines that are providing free fares serve the Mattapan, Dorchester and Roxbury areas, all of which were hit hardest by the pandemic and its financial fallout, the Boston.com report said. The city said last month that because of the free fares, the 28 bus returned to 92 percent of pre-pandemic ridership.

The 23 Bus line (Ashmont to Dorchester Center, Grove Hall & Ruggles) the 28 Bus line (Mattapan Square, up Blue Hill Ave, to Nubian Square & Ruggles) and the 29 Bus line (Mattapan Square, up Blue Hill Ave, to Jackson Square) each serves a diverse ridership, city officials said. Each line intersects with Blue Hill Ave, which has been identified by Livable Streets Alliance as one of the corridors that should be prioritized for improvements to increase reliability and boost ridership.

The funding will come from the $558 million in federal money the city received to cope with the hardest by the pandemic. The Boston.com report stated that a spokesperson for Mayor Michelle Wu said that the city still has $360 million at its disposal.

Wu said after taking office that she would push for fare-free transit for the next two years, which will now take affect after Wednesday’s council vote.