Since implementing fare-free service on fixed routes, the Pioneer Valley and Franklin Regional transit authorities have experience a spike in ridership, fewer tense interactions between passengers and bus drivers and passengers being able to put their money toward other needs.
Other transit authorities across the state have reported similar experiences since going fare-free, and Washington D.C. has taken notice.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley are working to take the reported success of Massachusetts’ transit systems nationally, and have filed the Freedom to Move Act. If passed, the legislation would create a $5 billion grant program, implemented by the federal Department of Transportation, that would issue five-year grants to states, local governments, transit agencies and nonprofits to cover the cost of fare-free service.
In a statement, Markey said all communities should be able to implement fare-free service, and the grant program would make that feasible.
“From Worcester to Boston to the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts is showing the nation what is possible when transit goes fare-free,” Markey said. “Our report shows that fare-free transit saves families money, increases ridership, and helps make transit easier and simpler for passengers. More transit riders can mean less congestion, cleaner air and safer streets.”
A report from Markey and Pressley noted that fare-free services saved riders $52 million on 26 million bus rides across Massachusetts in 2025, and that fare-free service has increased ridership beyond pre-pandemic levels.
In early July, a report submitted to the Massachusetts Legislature showed that ridership at the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) had increased nearly 30% over the past two years when the authority went fare-free thanks to an appropriation from the state. Ridership rose 21% in fiscal year 2025 compared to fiscal year 2024, followed by another 7% increase in fiscal year 2026.
The PVTA is the largest regional transit authority in Massachusetts, serving 24-member communities with a fleet of 186 buses and 132 vans in the Pioneer Valley.
Meanwhile, Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA)’s Administrator Tina Cote said the organization’s “ridership has definitely increased” since fare-free service was implemented, beginning in 2020 with fees being waived due to the pandemic, and continuing with state funding announced in 2024.
According to the FRTA 2025 Comprehensive Regional Transit Plan Update, “on an annual basis, FRTA carries approximately 170,000 passengers, traveling approximately 730,000 miles,” and while ridership was at its lowest during fiscal year 2021, it has steadily grown since. From FY20 to FY24, ridership grew 44%.
Cote said that, supported by state funding, the FRTA Advisory Board voted in May 2024 to make service fare-free on fixed routes, and later, based on the success of the program, voted to make the decision permanent.
“The board felt it was the right thing to do,” Cote said.
She explained that with drivers no longer having to enforce fare collection, interactions between them and riders have been more positive, and that going fare-free can alleviate the burden for riders and make it a more pleasant experience.
“Fare-free has definitely made a difference for people,” Cote said. “We’ve heard it’s been a matter of choosing between getting groceries or getting to work. … We’ve heard how thankful people are.”
Cote said that for a smaller, rural regional transit authority, going fare-free actually saved the organization money, as the software and systems required to process fare payment cost more than the fares generated.
“It cost us more to have the infrastructure than we took in fares,” Cote said. “For the FRTA, it just made sense.”
Cote said the fare-free model works in rural Massachusetts, but she cautioned that it requires significant state and federal investment for more populated regions. Going fare-free results in increased ridership, which in turn can require more capital investment and increase operating costs as transit authorities may need to purchase more vehicles to increase service frequency on more popular routes or get larger buses.
State officials have indicated their support for continuing to fund the transportation service, which they called an economic development tool that helps people get to work, while also helping the state cut back on greenhouse gas emissions, reach its climate goals and make life more affordable for residents.
“Across Massachusetts, regional transit authorities are making it easier and more affordable for people to get to work, school, medical appointments and other important destinations. These strong ridership numbers show that when we invest in public transportation and remove barriers to access, more people use it,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement. “Fare-free service is making a real difference for communities and local economies across our state.”
Markey and Pressley are pushing federal bills to take the idea beyond Massachusetts. The Senate version of the Freedom to Move Act, S.2478, has been referred to the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, and the House version of the bill, H.R.4719, has been sent to the House Committee on Highways and Transit for review.
“Transit equity is an economic, racial and climate justice issue, and it’s time we invest in public transit as the public good that it is,” Pressley said in a statement. “That’s why Congress must pass our Freedom to Move Act to continue to support fare-free transit across our state and nation.”
