Free transit rides in Tucson extended for six months, could be permanent

Bus and streetcar rides will remain free in Tucson for at least another six months following a unanimous decision at a recent City Council meeting, when officials also signaled they plan to eliminate the fares permanently.

Transit fees were first paused early last year as a COVID-19 relief effort designed to create travel options for residents who had been financially impacted by the pandemic. It was set to expire Friday, Dec. 31, but the recent decision means it will stay in place until at least the end of June.

It’s part of a larger push to make city transit rides free indefinitely, something that Councilman Richard Fimbres called “a necessity” for residents who depend on the services for “going to the doctor, getting groceries and going to work.”

“I just want to make sure that part of the extension includes a plan for how we would continue a fare-free transit program,” said Vice Mayor Lane Santa Cruz, who proposed the recent extension.

But the exact details of a permanent fare-free transit program haven’t been figured out, and officials don’t yet know if it’s financially possible.

The city has previously used federal grant money to cover the lost revenue. As those sources dry up, along with other pandemic-relief funds, officials will need to find other ways to continue the free service.

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Mayor Regina Romero proposed partnering with local institutions — including the University of Arizona, Pima Community College and public school districts — to find funding for the program.

“I think it’s for the benefit of our entire community and I can see how school districts and the University of Arizona and Pima College and their students could take full advantage of this possibility, as well as other employers in our community,” she said.

Forging those collaborations could require an upgrade to bus security, which officials voiced concern about ahead of the council’s vote.

Councilwoman Nikki Lee said she’s heard of “instances” of unsafe conditions on city buses for both drivers and passengers, for example, and asked that those issues be addressed as part of the overall plan given the proposed partnerships with local school districts.

“I wanted to also make sure that the security element is somehow included in the plan,” Lee said. “I think that’s really important, especially if we’re going to talk to school districts and those synergies that could be achieved, that we’re really also integrating security into that.”

The details for a long-term fare-free transit program will be hammered out during the council’s budget meetings this spring, before the most recent extension expires.