Zero-Fare Proposal For CUE Bus To Be Considered By City Council

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Fairfax City Council will consider a resolution at its regular Tuesday night meeting to look into the possibility of eliminating fares on the city's CUE Bus system.

Like many other jurisdictions, Fairfax City suspended fare collection in March 2020 for its local service in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During that time, the CUE Bus continued to maintain steady ridership, demonstrating an ongoing need for transit services for the city's residents, according to the staff report. While other jurisdictions later resumed fare collection, the city opted to continue running the service fare-free.

Last fall, CUE contracted with Nelson\Nygaard to explore long-term fare options, including sliding-scale or zero-fare. The study determined that zero-fare would prove more beneficial compared to a sliding fare scare for low-income riders.

City Manager Robert Stalzer will present the proposal put together by city staff at Tuesday's meeting. The proposal seeks the council's approval for a CUE Zero-Fare Pilot program, which will suspend fare collection for three years and use ARPA funding to provide service without increasing costs.

In addition, staff plans to seek additional funding from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation's Transit Ridership Incentive Program to pay for a fourth year of fare-free service.