A better headline for the recent article about potential fare-free public transit would be that the average taxpayer would pay barely $2 a month in order to provide a valuable public service to all residents of Tucson, most especially to the approximately 25,000 households in Tucson don’t have access to a car because of costs or other reasons. In reality, transit fares supply a relatively small portion of the overall public transit budget. And providing all members of our community an affordable option to get to work, school, medical appointments, or to stay connected to their family, repays itself through a healthier, more educated, and employable population. But as we consider the option of fare-free transit, let's not get trapped into thinking only in terms of economics only - instead maybe we should think of public transit like other public services, like the library, that we provide because they make us a better community.
Colby Henley
Midtown
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
