In my community people get around with cars, busses and sometimes with bikes or motorbikes. I think more people go to work with their car but most of the students go with the bus.So, I think that public transportation should be free only in areas with not so many people, because if public transport was free in large cities with many residents then there would be economic problems!
I think that public transport should not be free. Some people use the bus almost everyday where as some people don’t. If you use the bus more than twice in one day, I think it should not be free you are hurting our environment and we are only making it bad for ourselves. Although if you are over a certain age like 65+ you should not pay, they are retiring soon and need to try and keep as much of their money as possible and if they are using it on bus tickets it could result in life or death for them. If in fact they are in a really bad position.
In my opinion, public transport should not be free since it is already somewhat free. What I mean is that the money that is required to pay for the ticket to use the bus is so small that can hardly pay for the bus companies. Additionally by making it free, people that are working there, like drivers, would face serious financial problems.
I am of the opinion that public transport should be free as it makes our life easier. In my country we go to school by bus which is free and this has facilitated our lifes as our parents are not available to take us to school and pick us up.With this free transport they will not loose their jobs and not spend money. Also free public transit can avoid accidents. What I mean is that with free transportation we will encourage people not to drive and with this we may avoid losing our beloved ones by accidents. Taking everything into consideration I think that we should use free public transport as it eases the life of all people.
Free public transportation is very useful for some people, but what about the others? In my own opinion, the government can reduce the cost for people under 18 and the ones who are in an old age because if they reduce the cost for everyone, it would not be any money left to pay the drivers, gas,et cetera. I do not know about schools in other states but in Greece teens, who are using buses to go to school, do not have to pay to get in the bus they just have an id card. So why don't the adminstration take this as an example and use it not only for school buses but for subways and non-school buses as well. As result, it would be beneficial for teenagers, elder people and for drivers.
I think the public transport system should be free because it would serve a lot of people but especially students. This is because students will be given the opportunity to save money in order to spend it on their needs. Another reason is that not everyone has the economic opportunity to buy tickets every day and there are even people who find it more difficult to find money for tickets even taking money that was planned for other needs. If the public transport system were to become free then a great good would happen to humanity because it would make their lives easier and would not burden them economically.
I do not think public transit should be free, I understand how it could be very beneficial to some people but I feel like the cons outweigh the pros. For example, this would bring up taxes and charge people who don't need public transit to pay for something they will never use. This will also allow homeless people to travel to different states bringing themselves and problems to areas that never had those issues. If there was a free bus that allowed people from Seattle to go to Oregon or different parts of Washington for free then nice areas where people pay a lot of money to live would drop in prices. Sometimes when I wake up in the morning there are people digging through my trash trying to find cans that they can turn in for money.
Making transit free will not necessarily reduce drivers because drivers will still prefer the convenience of being able to go anywhere, anytime with their car. Cities should focus rather on providing many transportation options which does include public transit, but also bike sharing, carpooling and car sharing
i think it should be all free it would limit the pollution and use of fossil fuels and it would be more convenient for students if they live far from their school and don't have drives.
I feel like it depends because people could be taking advantage of it.
I think is neccesary for student to be free the public transit
I believe that public transit should be free for residences of that state/city. Public transportation is extremely good for the environment due to limiting the use of gas and other resources needed to run individual vehicles. By encouraging people to use the train or a bus to get to work we are decreasing our carbon footprint. However, public transportation needs to become accessible for all before it can truly make a lasting impact. Transportation costs can be covered by taxes and by having out of state passengers pay small fees for tickets. This system will benefit people who may struggle to get to work due to not being able to pay for transportation, and will also benefit those looking to save money on gas and time that would be spent trying to find a parking spot. This would also be extremely helpful to students who need to commute to school or work and can't always afford to pay for the tickets.
Public transit should be free in the United States for a multitude of reasons. For starters every American who works gets taxes deducted from their paychecks which in turn goes to the government who is suppose to provide things like public transportation with Americans tax dollars. Another reason as to why public transit should be accessible to everyone is some people may have a hard time getting to work without public transit and many of those people who rely on busses and trains to get to work might have a harder time supporting their families than those who drive to work. One last reason is that those who choose to take public transit rather than drive to work or other places are helping reduce traffic and help reduce our CO2 admissions into the atmosphere. For all these reasons I believe that every American should have free access to public transit.
Public transit should be free because not everyone can afford a bus ride or a train ride. Also Sometimes people are in a hurry and may not have the right amount. Public transit keeps increasing the price of rides or tickets and it isn’t right because you shouldn’t have to pay to get to your job or your home which can be pretty far at times.
Public transit should be free. Not everyone can afford a bus ride. There’s several unfortunate people around the world, sometimes we have to be considerate of others. Also, it should be free for any student who has to take a public to go to school.
In my tawn they had it so students could ride free. Which I think is a good compremis so that the bus drivers still make money. It also lets some people ride for free
Let start that, yes public transportation should be free, and here is why. We know that the economy relies on transportation of goods, and how are the producers of those goods get to the place they work at to produce those goods? It does not matter what income group you come from because everyone can use the transportation system. Especially, in the United States, where the production of goods and wealth are controlled in the major cities, for example in Hawaii; Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii's wealth for Pearl Harbor etc; and thus how are the people from the outer towns gonna get to work in Honolulu? That said; Public Transit should be free, because it would in the long run prosper economic growth by being able to transport the workers of the economey with ease.
YES!!! because why should we have to pay to get on the bus or train. Why cause some people can't afford money to get on the bus. Also when students lose their student passes to get on the bus. Transit should be free, it would make the world a-lot better.
This is a hard one. There are a lot of benefits to be reaped from free transit. Like, for one, lessening car use and by extension, helping the planet a little. Despite this, I have to say i´d rather pay for transit. From what i´ve seen, bus drivers and train stations already allow the homeless and, occasionally, people who don't have money to pay, on. But if that was a gift granted to everyone? Can you imagine the effort it would take to keep the areas clean? The amount of people clamoring for a seat? So, while it would be a pleasant idea for free transportation, i dont think thats really a possibility. Me and my family usually travel by train, separately.
I believe that public transportation should be free because if you are not fortunate enough to have a car you should be able to get around while still saving up your money so you can buy a car. But at the same time the government has to pay for gas and maintenance on the buses, trains and pay the workers. So our money is not getting wasted but free transportation should be apart of being a citizen. For example shelters re free for people in need, this should also apply for public transportation.
I think that it should be cheaper and agree with the people in the article that said that for sure. Where I am at there is no bus transport but I think that the places that have a big population should get it cheaper. I drive to school to and from my family do the same thing and people from my school just ride the bus to and from. Gas is not cheap and my parents do pay for it when I drive to school. It is important that people get it cheaper because most of them are going to work to get money and raise their kids. I agree it is a basic need because you are going to work. People will take it for advantage it is free and then just be too crowded. As long as your respectful then I think it should be raised down and if your not then you should not be able to ride it because you need to make sure that everyone is safe.
Like I said if there is issues then they should not be allowed to ride it because that is not fair to the rest of the people minding their own business. I feel if they were free then there would be issues and problems because people or even teens will then mess around.
In my community it's common for people to get around by car. Although we do have buses that transport people around, I don't see them a lot. Another thing that people use are bikes. These are more common around the beach because it's easier to get around. When you ride bikes its easier because you don't have to deal with parking at the beach, it can get crowded. My main transportation is a car because we are always going places and cars are the smartest way to go. For people who don't get that opportunity probably use buses. I think buses should be free because not everyone can pay every time they need to go somewhere. If they are having to take the bus it may mean that they don't have a lot of money. So I think it should be free.
I think that public transportation should be at a lower price, so people can't worry about the cost. It can be a good cause because it can be less pollution if people don't drive cars as much. Another benefit if people were driving less on the roads, the roads will be in better condition. The reason i don't think it should be completely free is because people can take advantage of it by going back and fourth on the bus and harassing people.
Yes. Absolutely yes. Public transportation needs to be a free benefit whether it be the bus or a train or whatever the movement may be. I would consider public transportation as a public good or a utility, something like shelter food or water. Everyone has places to be but not everyone can afford a pricey ticket, especially in larger cities. As for the economic or financial issues I completely understand that point of argument, although the funds and the laws would take years to get into the flow we could make public transportation possible.
@Arianna Dominico Well I agree that public transportation can be a good benefit, but i don't understand how you can compare it to other important things that cost money. I believe that these things should be affordable, but everything has a price.
My opinion is public transport should be free for certain people. My reasoning behind that is some people might use it for a bad reason. While there are others that can’t afford it and really need to get to where they're going.Because lots of people can't afford cars and it takes too long to walk to work so they have to ride by bus or train. And also it should be free for students, unemployed people. Because making transportation free for students would make it easier for them to get to school. If public transport were to be free, people would be able to take more jobs because there wouldn’t be a problem to get transportation.
Public Transportation or Public Transit is a good way for people to move around their city from a place to another one , we already know that everything we do in this world we do it by exchanging money to get the service but, things happened sometimes people can be missing money. I think public transit not can one hundred percent free because the mayor of the town must collect money and then to built city. Some town with a small quantity of population may facility people to go free but in a town like New York where there are a lot of people and tourists, it will be important to take a charge on everyone.
Public transit is part and parcel for a city. Without public transit, nobody can’t think a minute, like those who are going to job, school, market, etc. I don’t want it’s free because a lot of people are work with public transit. Their hard work makes communication faster with each other. If it's free, those who work with transit they don’t get their salary, transit not will develop their service.
I think having free public transportation is a good idea. Not everybody can afford a bus, plane, etc. ticket. There are many factors we have to take in though, like where the funding would come from. This isn't something that could happen overnight, I feel like it would take a while to sort out all the logistics. I wish there was an easier way to have free public transportation.
Before getting to read this, I would not have and didn’t include the economy into my thoughts about having free public transportation. My argument changed as I continued to read because I saw the different sides to it. I personally don’t feel as much need for free public transportation, as I usually get to school by car, but that only has to do with myself, and I think that many would benefit from free transportation, but as stated, it isn’t that simple.The economic loss in transportation companies and the burden on the city is a great argument towards why passengers need to pay, but at the same time, those individuals who can’t afford that transportation are exactly the people who need it most. I can’t think of any better solution to meet both of these needs than simply lowering the prices to allow more of us, including those who generally can’t, take a ride to get where we need to be. I definitely think public transportation is a need, and it should be a right, but with the difficulties faced, I don’t see a way that free transportation would work for everyone.
Public transportation needs to be free, especially in large cities where driving to work or college is virtually not possible. Some people also cannot afford the fare to board the bus. The bus companies may lose money but the economy would most likely benefit. Personally, I live out of my school district so my mom has to drive me to school, and I ride my bike to work. Free public transportation would not necessarily affect me but I feel like I speak for the majority of people who live in major American cities when I say that it should be provided, for economic and environmental gains.
When people can't pay the bus fare, they become scared and more likely to make a rash decision when confronted, and I think this is unnecessary and also a waste of police force.
@Evan Peña
While I agree that the idea itself is not horrible, the logistics of it are off. The money that is made goes towards funding the transportation. Even then it is still not enough and the government pays for the rest. While the budget is a large amount of money public transportation isn't anywhere close to the top priorities. Just giving people these rides for free would overall take away money from other more important needs.
1
Public Transportation is a needed thing in big cities. The idea of free transportation can a lot of opportunities for many people like making it to a job interview or getting a way to work if you don't have the fare to board the bus. I understand that the company might lose profit from free rides but it'll make the community benefit more from it. I agree with Dionisia Ramos that public transportation is more of a need than a luxury for many people and should be free. Overall, I think that the benefits of making public transportation free outweigh the disadvantages.
Public transportation is vital in big cities. I understand how free busses might help reduce carbon emissions and help those in poverty but I don’t think it should be free. More people need to ride the bus even with a small fee. The price should be very small though, especially in bigger cities like New York City. Providing free transportation would make it harder on the bus drivers so they’d need to be paid more and public transportation. Ultimately free transportation would be nice but it will affect the economy and might bring unsafe people on.
@Ryan Hart I understand where you're coming from about the bus drivers work will be harder, but they're getting paid but many of the people that board the bus may not have a job. You have to think about the people and how they can benefit from it, it doesn't matter about who gets on the bus. Many unsafe people have money to get on the bus so there's no difference if the rides were free or not.
I think that many cities could benefit from free public transit but, I understand the concern regarding the possible profit loss. In cities where public transportation vehicles are mostly empty, I think that making it free would cause more people to use this mode of transportation and ultimately have fewer cars on the road. I think that my city could benefit from free public transportation to increase the amount of people that use it and reduce carbon emissions from other vehicles. My family drives to school, work, and for other trips but, I would definitely use public transportation if it were more available in my city. I agree with Dionisia Ramos that public transportation is more of a need than a luxury for many people and should be free. Overall, I think that the benefits of making public transportation free outweigh the disadvantages.
I think that many cities could benefit from free public transit but, I understand the concern regarding the possible profit loss. In cities where public transportation vehicles are mostly empty, I think that making it free would cause more people to use this mode of transportation and ultimately have fewer cars on the road. I think that my city could benefit from free public transportation to increase the amount of people that use it and reduce carbon emissions from other vehicles. My family drives to school, work, and for other trips but, I would definitely use public transportation if it were more available in my city. I agree with Dionisia Ramos that public transportation is more of a need than a luxury for many people and should be free. Overall, I think that the benefits of making public transportation free outweigh the disadvantages.
@Anna Kilpatrick I do see where the concern for losing money comes from, but the use of free transportation would give more opportunities for jobs, leave money leftover for people to spend at local businesses, and reduce carbon emissions. I think the economic yield would much outweigh the possible loss of profit from bus companies. People should not have to spend their unemployment checks on getting to school or work, this makes no sense.
In every city, people depend on transportation whether it be public or not, it is a necessity, however, no public transportation should be free. If public transportation were to become free, it would create a problem such as the salary of the bus drivers would drop. And those who normally take public transportation would feel very uncomfortable since it is more likely that everyone would take advantage of it. Wouldn't you? Not only that, but if there were public transportation, our taxes would go up and living in California we don't need another tax increase. But it would also affect those in motor companies and gas stations. If people see they don't need to buy a car or waste money on gas because they now have a free transportation option, they'll take it. Yes I do believe transportation prices should go down but nothing in this life is free. Everyone wishes that but it is simply impossible.
I think transit should be free because it would be a way to save our environment and help many people that perhaps don’t have money or the benefit of riding a bus. I also think transit should be free but, it could not be free for all people just for students, unemployed people because we need to know that someone needs to pay bus drivers. We can leave everything to the government. If you work, you should pay for your ride. I think public transit could be great in some ways, but affect in another way, for example, if we have public transit it would affect companies like cars service, uber, etc. If people know that they have this benefit. People would want free transportation.
I personally think that the price of the public transit should be lower. In New York City the cost of fair is really high, but I do not think that the transportation have to be free at all. The cost of riding a bus and subway in the New York City is $2.75. It is important to pay a minimum of the fair to demand a good service like safer, cleaner and organization. In addition, the bus driver cannot just drive for nothing (free), but some people do not understand that, if we do not pay at least the minimum, the state will pay them whit the dollar tax. The public transit should have a lower cost for those people that do not have a good budget such as student, like me. I spend every week at least $35.00 for every day I came to school.
The public transport is very important for all cities. If in your city or your town you have a good service of public transport you have a good life and a betters days. I think that the public transport free will be problems between the people who take all day train or bus. Normally, in New York we can see a lot homeless especially in winter in the trains to cover of weather; they do not paid this ticket, for they is free this service. Do you thing the public transport is free? I cannot imagine if the transport is free in a city as New York where so many people visit the city each day. I think that this initiative is good for specific places; maybe MTA should be to create small routes between the point A to point B as a tourist solution. This profit is good for cities in developed countries. In my country specific in my city Bogota this idea, have lot problems of public disorder. When I do not have money and do not want to take a transit, I take my bicycle, my appropriate security protects and I ride in the city carefully, for some persons this is their day by day.
Public transportation should not be free because it would bring many consequences for everyone, the salary of the bus driver and transportation could reduce his salary, which means less money for drivers. In addition, people will try to use their cars less and use public transport more, which will make it much more crowded and less comfortable for passengers. The state will not have enough money to cover so many expenses. These are reasons why public transport should not be free. The state may have economic very large losses, and the services would be decadent.
I think that the public transit do not would free because it will be crazy. The public transportation will be full people and would bother to the people who really need service, not all people have their own car. If the public transit is free the people have car own for save money, they take to public transportation so it is free every time the public transportation will be crowd people. If the public transit is free cannot solve the expense that this cause because the city needs to pay all service that it give us. If the public transit has not money for be free the service will be bad. The station will be dirty and be dilapidated. I do not agreement because the people will is confortable.
Public transportation can be free? Public transportation is one the most important thing the transport be free generates many benefits and negatives things may be that people who really need help because they are going through a very bad economic situation for this people this is excellent and also for all students that is great for they but what other customers think about that many people have negatives things if the transport is free will see homeless and bad people using this service as we give them this generates discomfort to the rest of people who use the same service in my opinion the best way is put a reasonable price for all people and only free for students and also gives greater security and confidences for all people. negatived, in my opinion,
I moved to America three years ago, At that time we just need to pay 2 dollars and 25 cents for one ride. In three years we experience 2.50 cents and 2.75 cents growth. Therefore, in my opinion, I believe public transit should be free. First, If the transit payment is worth that I am willing to pay 5.50 cents every single day but sometimes the transit so slow or that makes me mad or sometimes delay make me late to class. In my country, every single ride needs 2.50 cents. Every station they build a glass door next to the track and it would be open when the train arrives. It ensures nobody fall into track makes the train delay. However, it safer, faster, and cleaner. Second, the price gets higher and higher per year so that lets people cannot afford it. Third, if the transit fee is free that would be more and more people go to take train or buses, there will be fewer cars on the road so that we can reduce carbon emissions.
@JIAMIN-LB
I agree. I think it would be very beneficial to make public transportation free so that more people will use it and there will be fewer cars on the road. I think that it is important for public transit to be affordable for all people, and the rising prices for it are not helping. I hope that by making public transit free, cities can reduce the carbon emissions from other vehicles.
In my opinion every year the state increase public transit fee. I always take the bus to get to my school and I have to pay 5.50 cents every day but, I remember two years ago the fee was 2.25 cents that just for one way. I am a part time employee more than my half salary goes to my transportation and it is not worth because the buses are not in a good condition. Also, sometimes the buses comes late and I am in a rush to get to my school if I come late to class, my teacher is talking about a very important topic that I need to know. I understand for those employee that drivers the buses must get paid for what they are doing and some of the money of fees go to their salary. The state have to understand that the fees are getting higher and higher every year, it needs to stop because people can’t afford it at least make it 2.25 cents again.
@Diana-LB I agree with you that for many people, public transportation is a necessity, but fares can be a large obstacle especially for students and those who aren't economically stable. I wonder if reducing costs will only further hurt bus conditions or the amount of drivers, which could decrease the reliability of such a vital transportation service. However, I think that either way, as you mentioned, fare prices could be reduced by government support at the very least if removing the cost completely is too expensive.
I think that the public transport should be free sometimes and for the people who reduces the usage of the own cars because it will be the positive way to change the life in the city. If the traffic were less in the city, it would be more peaceful and less contamination, even everyone will arrive early to destination. For people who does not have money enough to travel other places to work or study is an excellent way to help them that the transport will be free. In my state, the fares are high but when we buy a card for 30 days is cheapest because the people can travel many times with the same card. There are different fares for people poor, students and seniors.
There are other possibility if the public transport would be free, the people would not use this buses and they would prefer the own car because in the winter the weather is very cold to walk for their job or to carry kids. Even to avoid walking a far distance from different sides. I does not talking in general but most.
I think that the public transit should be free because this would help in the economics of many people; the people pay taxes for many thing. The government should use part this money for give this service free to the people. This would help to the environment, less contamination because many people do not use their cars so there is less traffic and the people save money and time.
I agree with the point of view of Mayor Marty Walsh. He had concerns with the potential profit loss. The cost of operating and maintaining a bus service in a city is really high. Somebody has to pay for it. If a city offers free transportation, the cost will be paid by someone else. I do not think that bus riding should be free. I think that the cities should have a system to help people who cannot afford the fare. The cost of riding a bus or a subway in NYC is $2.75. The cost is fair. With one fee paid, you could ride long distances, and you could switch between a subway and a bus, no extra charge. I would be willing to pay a little more if these fees help to have a better service, safer, cleaner, and more organized.
I think public transport should be cheap, but not completely free. People rely on public transport to get to their jobs, but the bus driver can't just drive for nothing, they need to be paid as well. If public transport was free, then the bus drivers would be paid with tax dollars, but most people who don't use public transport wouldn't want their tax money to go to that.
I think that public transportation should be be free, because not everyone might have the money to get where they need to be, and that could be something like a job or to aid someone in crisis. If public transportation were free both the homeless population and the unemployment rate would lower significantly, boosting the economy and the way of life in the United States.
@Owen Mirka I agree with your statement in which you indicated that life would be easier for most citizens that can not afford to pay for transportation. But I also wanted to add that pollution would decrease immensely because instead of using cars to travel people would use trains more often.
@Genesis Castellanos- Although free transportation will be able to help citizens be able to use transportation services, predominantly in poverty, I strongly disagree that transportation services should be free. I believe free bus fares and other transportation services would lead to over crowded buses and subways from people who do not own cars. In addition, bus fares in Los Angeles are fair and reasonable as bus transportation can be as low as 1$. Moreover, I believe pollution will not decrease as “there was little evidence that they removed cars from the road; new riders tended to be poor who did not own cars…”(Nicole Daniels). Free bus fares will not catch the attention of car owners as there are more benefits in using your own car than the bus. For example, you would not have to wait for the bus to arrive and transportation arrival times to your destination would be much slower if using the bus or any other transportation service.
I think that public transit should be free because not everybody can have the possibility to get a car, and also there are a lots people who have a big family and have a lot bills to pay. Public Transit should be free for people who do not have a good budget such as, students, people with low resources, etc. Even though Public Transits are not free at least it can be cheaper. That can help people save more money. However, if public transit is free it could be struggle to go to somewhere because people that regularly use their car to go work or anyplace, they will used public transit instated to use their own vehicle, then buses and trains will be fuller. If transportation get free there are they have to increase buses and trains because it will be kind of difficult to go work, school or anywhere.
1
More than free or expensive, transit should be equitable for everyone. I partially agree with the idea of Public transit being free because, as much as people says, there will be a lot of people who would benefit, specially people who does not have a car and are students like me. But for another part, there are other reasons to considerate before says if Public transportation should be free. Firstly, evaluate from where will comes the money for subsidize free transportation for everyone. It is necessary considerate if the consequences from take the money for pay free transportation could increase too much the taxes, and if that situation could affects more than helps. Also, is indispensable evaluate the safety for people who were taking buses and trains because the number of people taking those means will increase and cities like New York, with many people living and moving every day, would need be more carefully.
1
February 4, 2020
Public transit is easy to say but not easy to implement, because they want to be carefully study the benefits and the contrast about the free transportation and the impact in the society. In my personal opinion they can reduce the cost for elder’s persons, but not for everyone because they want money to pay the drivers, gas, police, maintenance and solve many problems, but not everybody pay a taxes to the city, for example in new York the cost for a single ride is $2.75 but I thinks the cost for everything can be more expensive if they implement a free transportation because they want a source to pay for all the service, and I can’t imagine how the station can be look. I know Europe have a different system for the transportation and still work but is not good for a busy city’s like new York.
2
In my Opinion I think public transportation should be free. Because there many people who are struggle to pay the fare because of their situation economic. Sometimes it is very difficult for them to have that change to pay the fare or to buy the Metro Card bus, most of people in New York are living in impoverished life every day they have to worry about how they .are going to have food to put on the table for their kids, and worry about the bus fare. I think if the transportation is free they going to have less worries in their life. Also I think if we pay the bus fare with paper bill is going to be easy for everyone. Because it’s really difficult for people to have coins every time they want to take the bus or the train.
1
I think transit should be less money and in this form the city can help to the economy of the families and can save money, sometimes people spend a lot of money a week in public transit. In this case, more people can travel more easily and pay for, in my opinion this is a good idea lower the price because many people do not pay the fare and is illegal they take the risk because they don’t have money so should consider the option, this service should be free or less the price. The cost of the train in my city it’s 2:75$ thus a week its 19:25$, this price it’s not too bad, but can be better, because many people have to make an effort for pay the fare and we have to understand the status of everybody ,and try to help them. We have to think about the children, when the do not have money for go to school they cannot go and this can be a problem, the government can help so many people with this option.
1
I think public transportation should be free because I believe that could help the environment. I live in New York City, where every day millions of people use public transportation and they paid a lot of money for inefficient services. If that service should be free I think we have a big problem. This is a good idea for reducing carbon emissions but the impact creates more problems.
I believe public transit should be free because there are many people in different country who don’t have the opportunity to effort a bus and they have to walk or use a bike to move to a place to another, also must of those people cannot effort a car and in some country is difficult to walk because the weather, the weather can be so cold and those people will have to walk to work and I think is a good way to help the society. Also if public transit is free people won’t have to think about where are going to get the money to go to work the next day or if there have and emergency and don’t have money in the moment that will not be a problem. For example My dad and I we take the bus every single day I take the bus to go to school and work, and my dad to go to his work sometimes he cannot effort the money that he have to pay for the all weekdays and sometime and I go give him money. Also, I don’t agree with the fares I think is so expensive to pay a ticket to go to another place to another I think if people have to pay for it the prices should be considerable that all the people should pay for it.
I think that free transit for the population should be free many people have low income, it would be good to have free transportation because in that way we can save money and also if we don’t have the money to take we can take anyway and in that way we not arrive late to ours job. For example if I have to go to college but I don’t have the money for the transportation I would have a lot of problems but is the transportation is free I can take my transport quickly and in that way I can arrive to mi college early. Another example is that many people have to walk because they do not have enough money to take the transportation and that’s make many people arrive late to their job, but is all those things were free none of those things would happen. I’m not agree because of the people of low income and, I would be agree is there is way to make some of the people of good income pay and make a way for the people of low income no pay I think that’s would be a good solution.
I do believe that the transportation must be free for the public for so many good reasons, but it's also true that we deserve a good quality of services, so the fares can't be free. We have to understand that for good service we have to pay, at least, a minimum of the price. There are so many way to obtain free passages by social help, education help, etc. For the amount of people who us the public transportation, if we only pay a minimum, would enough for the a proper service of it, such as gasoline, clean service, workers, etc. If we stop paying the fares it can even be dangerous for the passengers because of the bad quality of the trains, buses, etc. like bad maintenance, less, drivers, mad conditions of the train tracks. So yes, we should pay fares for a good service and our own security.
I believe that Public transportation should be free, for many reasons. Because there are many impoverished people lives in here. They are not able to buy food for their family and they also struggling to survive their family. If the transportation should be free, they can use money to their family. Traffic jam and pollution are most problem in the New York City. If public transportation should be free, I think it could be decreased and people get a nice environment their rest of life.
Public Transportation or Public Transit is a good way for people to move around their city from a place to another one , we already know that everything we do in this world we do it by exchanging money to get the service but, things happened sometimes people can be missing money. I think public transit not can one hundred percent free because the mayor of the town must collect money and then to the built a city.
Try to make an opinion about Public Transportation can be easy, but if we talk about if public transportation should be free can be a discussion theme. In my personal opinion, I believe the Public transportation should be subsidize. In NYC are tons of people who can paid for public transportation also another type of people who have to take care of their finances and include this bill in their budget but I also have to talk about of people who sometimes sleep at trains. Make public transportation free can be a big impact in the cities finance. No just because the general system is going to be broke in order with the money that the city collect, it is going to be also the money that the city have to spend in order to pay the cleaners, the maintainers, the drivers and others. Other important fact that we should consider is the security. If the public transportation be totally free they can be a little dangerous, could you imagine how many people it is going to be in the one train so the mobility it is going to be hard. That is why I think it is good to pay a part and the city can pay a part of this amount logically the percent that they can pay avoiding break the financial system.
I think that the public transit should be free because this would help in the economics of many people, the people pay taxes for many thing. The government should use part this money for give this service free to the people. This would help to the environment with less contamination, because many people do not use their cars so there is less traffic and the people save money and time.
1
@Delmis - LB I agree it would help the people and environment but everything has a cost. People pay taxes for everything except free transportation, if transporation was free it would be another tax. Think about the money thats being used from transporation now, cities depend on it and without it the economy might shift negatively. In the end I don't think it should be free but shouldn't be expensive what so ever.
I do believe that public transportation should be free, for many reasons. One of them, as we all say, is because some people can’t afford cars. Which is true some people can’t afford them so, they use trains and buses as a way to get to work and etc. For the amount of people that need and use these forms of transportation should have to pay every single day just to get where the need to go. If a bunch people in Charlotte starting taking the light rail because it’s free that means not as many cars on the road, which can reduce emissions that are spread all through out the air from our cars. Overall I think that public transportation should be free.
@Maddie Whitenack I think public transportation should be free, If someone who is not as financially stable and want to bring there life back. They would need to get a job, many are not fortunate enough to find a job as close to them as they would like. Causing them to have to use the subway. How are these people going to use a train/bus to get to the job without money?
@Maddie Whitenack I partially agree with your statement on why public transportation should be free, but we have to think about on where does the money we use to pay for transportation goes to and what it's needed for. "Some people can't afford cars," with that detail in mind I do think that maybe the way we have to pay for public transportation can change so it can be more economic for a greater group of people without necessarily making it free.
I do believe public transport should be free because not everyone can afford cars and now some people cant even afford public transport. I do not agree with the fares I think that the cities should have a separate budget for public transportation so adults can get to work and students can get to school without a fee. I do believe that free transportation would get more cars of the roads and would majorly reduce carbon emissions.
I think that public transport should be free because lots of people can't afford cars and it takes too long to walk to work so they have to ride the bus. If more people would ride the bus there would be less traffic and it would help with carbon emissions. I think that being able to ride the bus for free is a basic need because some people may not be able to afford the bus pass but also have no other choice for transport.
I believe that public transport should be free. Many people can’t Afford cars and it would be better if they save their money for food or a house. They should have to worry if they will have enough money to get to work.
@Roxy I think public transit should be cheaper, that way it is more affordable, and the bus driver still gets paid.
I think that public transit should be free. A lot of people are struggling with money and stressing out if they want to go out and public and don't have that much money. It is also good for other people if they are running late for schools,work and etc. Also people are heavily wanting to see their family around and need transportation to go. They don’t want to walk for hours and hours just because they don’t have any money to spare on. In case of emergency and don't have a car they can easily use transportation on these type of things. In this article I believe that public transit should be free because I believe that we should have the right to use any type of transportation to go out in public to get anything we want.
@Mariya I agree with your response 100%. I feel like it should be free as well, there's many incidents where it could be an absolute necessary thing to have. In emergence's or for people less fortinute who are trying to do their best and put food on the table for their families. In conclusion i agree with your statement "we should have the right to use any type of transportation.
@Mariya I agree with your statement, free public transport would be nice to have. It would allow free rides and a lot of convenience for many. But, the cost of free public transport may become pretty expensive. Paying for transport helps pay fair wages for drivers and other workers, as well as gas. It would be nice to have a free public transport system in a limitless society. I think that many people would be effected positively and negatively if transport was free, but with new self-driving technology, who knows what the future holds.
Free public transport would be widely beneficial to avid users of it, especially those struggling financially. With urbanization, it is not a simple task for most to walk to their destinations if they are without their own car, so public transport is a necessary service. In theory, free public transport should be free, but due to lost revenue it is not always a sustainable option. For example, according to Eltis.org (The European Local Transport Information Service), in Hasselt, Belgium, public transport was free from 1997-2013, but was cancelled due to pressing cost concerns of the city. Now, those 19 and under ride for free, and those above 19 pay 60 euro cents ($0.66). It may not be possible for long term free public transport to be offered if financial problems arise. If cities feel they would lose too much money from transitioning into free public transportation, there are other options, such as decreasing the cost of a fair, but not making it completely free. For example, Tallinn, Estonia offers its residents (and those from outside of Tallinn) a 2 euro green card, and then all of their public transit rides are free. According to Tallinn, this policy has generated 20 million euros per year, a profit that does not raise concern over lost revenue. If free public transport is not a viable option, lowering the cost of it is a more attainable option that would still benefit those who depend on it, without causing financial issues from the lack of additional revenue.
Public transit should be free because people who are using public transit probably don’t have any money to get themselves transit anyway, so why should they have to pay for traveling. While this is a very valid arguement, if public transit was free then taxes would probably rise in order to pay the bus drivers and pay for the transportation. This is not something I would want because as someone who’s parents work hard to get their money and buy vehicles them losing money to pay for other people’s needs doesn’t seem valid, so while the idea is nice, i don’t thing that public transit should be free. I mean, if you have enough time to wait on a bus for a few hours or then they have enough time to go out and get a job so that they can pay for transportation.
I believe that public transit should be free under certain circumstances. For instance, this who are disabled or unable to drive for any reason should be allowed free public transportation. I believe that free transportation for those people would prevent less accidents on the road.
I think that public transportation should be free. I think it should be free because not everyone can necessarily afford to take the bus or the train. Also it depends on where you live, for example if you live in the Midwest, you don’t want to have to walk places in the winter because it gets really cold, but for some people that’s the only option because they might not be able to afford to constantly spend 6 dollars on a train ticket or take the bus. I think the fares are decent, they could maybe be a little cheaper to help people get around, and give people more of a range of places to go. All in all, I think that public transportation should be free because it would benefit lots of people who live in places like cities where you don’t really want a car. Beyond that, I also think that free transportation wouldn’t really affect society in a negative way, cause if anything it is helping people
I think that public transportation should be free or at least lowered in price slightly since hundreds and thousands of people heavily rely on it each and everyday. If it was completely free or changed to something lower, those who are less fortunate could get around more and wouldn't have to worry about catching a ride from a stranger, walking very long distances, or being late to certain events. If it can't be free but only reduced in some way, it can still help many people and bus drivers/subway operators can still get properly paid.
I think that public transits should be free, but that's just not how the real world works, nothing in life is free. Even though many people rely on community buses and trains to get where they need to be, the bus drivers still need a way to make their money.
I feel that public transport should be free. Public transport is a system heavily used by underprivileged people who cant afford their own transport. Having to spend $2.75 multiple times a day can take a toll on people who are unemployed. But that leads to other issues such as how much bus drivers and subway operators will get paid. I feel a fair and attainable solution would be to lower the fare by one or two dollars. This way more people will be able to afford and will start to use public transit.
Public transit should be free because some people rely on those transportation to get to work and other places. Other transportation vehicles such as cars can be very expensive, and some communities are too far to walk to, so the use of public transport is the only available option left. Using public transit every day can become very expensive, and, for people who don't have any other option, it can lead to major financial issues.
Of course, in a perfect world, there would be free transit available to all. Unfortunately, that wouldn't physically work. It should be free, but it can't. However, one thing that can be done is lowering the fare, and making it available to more people. New Yorkers rely on the New York City MTA subway systems to get them from place to place. From the hardworking student to the flushed Wall Street banker, they all share the same subway cart. Everyone needs the subway, but not everybody can. Fare evasion may take place simply because they cannot afford to pay the fare. By lowering the fare, you are allowing a better chance for people to use mass transit.
I do agree that they should lower the cost but wouldn't it be much better if it was free? Also , why cant it be free?
Public Transits should be free because many people relied on buses and trains to take them around. If you don't have money you would not be able to take it. People have to continue their daily basis. You shouldn't be worrying about you have enough money to take transportation.
More cities should at least attempt to integrate a free public transit system. Many people use public transportation because they need to get to school or work. And so if you are going to school to get an education, there should not be a need to pay in order to get an education. Also, many people to go work on public transportation and so, they're trying to make money and by paying money to get there, they're losing money everyday. Also, with cities budgets, there wouldn't be much of a change if they made public transportation free
I think this is a very interesting topic, since many countries support free public transit, as stated in the article. I agree that public transit should be free because it would not only have an extremely small impact on the economy, but most people using public transportation are poor. It feels wrong to charge poor people for a relatively small amount of money, and I believe that it would be a kind thing to do and would make millions of Americans slightly happier.
Public transit should be free because some people rely on those systems to get to work and other places on a daily basis. Other transportation vehicles like cars can be very expensive, and some communities are too far to walk or bike to, so when public transport is the last resort, cost should not have to weigh in. Using public transit every day back and forth from work or school can become very expensive, and, for people who don't have any other option, it can lead to major financial issues. Also, if public transit were free, many more people would utilize it, so traffic and accidents would be reduced dramatically with fewer people on the roads.
The financial aspect is limiting those who would otherwise be utilising public transportation, so not only would making public transport free make it more readily available to those financially challenged, it would encourage all economic classes to use it. This would help limit traffic in cities and would be a more environmentally conscious option as apposed to independent methods of travelling a daily commute.
I absolutely agree with Ms. Ramos. Free public transport is an absolute necessity and should be a given right in all town, cities, and societies. I feel it's equally important as our right to an education. When a student fails to make it to class on time or struggles with school attendance, it's the guardian's responsibility to help them make it to school. When an adult doesn't make it to work or a daily commitment, it should be the cities responsibility to provide sufficient, free, consistent, and readily available methods of transportation.
Public transit should be free because people who can not afford a car or other forms of transportation should have a reliable, fast and stress free transportation system. Some people may not have the money to pay for public transportation everyday and by making public transit free, these people could easily get to job interviews or new jobs when they do not have another way to get there. Some people’s reliance on public transportation illustrates how it is a need and not a luxury, therefore it should be provided for free to people who may not be able to afford it. I am aware of the issues that would come with switching to free public transit, and that it is important to consider all the factors when switching over: taxes, overpopulation of public transit systems, and how to pay the drivers and mechanics. But overall, it is more important to provide opportunities, such as a way to get to a job or job interview, to those who need them, and to find alternative solutions to those issues.
Public transit should not be free. Buses and trains don't cost much and they need drivers to operate them. If there is no money being made to drive people around then how would the drivers get paid. They wouldn't have money to fix something if they needed to and they couldn't get gas or other fueling ingredients. Buses and trains are not as expensive as Taxis or ubers so if you don't want to pay much then take the bus.
I do not think Public transit should be free, it would be beneficial to the riders, but what about the bus like how would they pay for gas or to fix the buses, or even pay the drivers, i do think the drivers would want work for free.
I do not think public transits should be free. It would be nice and beneficial to some who don't have the funds, but for other people it is only about $2.40 a ride. Compared to Ubers and Lyfts, public transport is cheap and convenient. Im not sure if public transits do this, but for the ones who dont have the funds, they could come up with a program for the homeless, or simply work something out. The money is needed to help the city. Im sure the driver does not want to do drive around for hours, for free.
I think that public transportation being free would be very beneficial to people who can’t afford their own cars and other ways of transportation, but the money we spend helps the city. I think that it should be free though because some people can’t afford their own way of transportation, and public benefits them in many ways.
@Jalen Moore I also think that it would be beneficial to those that can't afford a car.
While I understand the potential benefits of free public transportation, the idea is unrealistic. The money to provide the service would likely come from an increase in taxes, which shifts the nuisance of paying from (commonly unemployed/below the poverty line) those who use public transport to those who do not. Those in need receive financial assistance and, while they may still be in crisis, their assistance should be focused on medical help and job opportunities, not luxuries of a higher quality of life. I understand all people deserve quality of life, but simply giving people things like this seems counterintuitive and isn’t beneficial in the long run.
Although paying for public transit generates revenue for cities, I think that there are many reasons you should not have to pay for it. The article states that public transportation is not a luxury, but a basic need. Although I strongly agree with this, I do understand that paying for public transport helps to fund the city and those working in public transport jobs.
I think public transportation should be free because some people do not have the money to pay for it every day. Free public transportation would also encourage more people to use it, therefore cutting down on the amount of pollutants in the air due to cars. It would also reduce unemployment and homelessness, giving everyone in the city the opportunity to go to and from their workplace every day without worrying about how to pay for transportation.
The article also states that public transport is free in many other countries overseas. This shows that this idea could potentially help our economy rather than hurt it. Overall, I think that free public transportation is a good idea that will cut down on pollution and help those who are struggling.
I think that public transportation should be be free, because not everyone might have the money to get where they need to be, and that could be something like a job or to aid someone in crisis. Public transportation is not a luxury and should not be treated as one. Public transportation is a tool that many people could use to get to jobs and other appointments. If public transportation were free both the homeless population and the unemployment rate would lower significantly, because people would have the means to get to their workplace.
@Evelyn
That's true. Not everyone has the money for a bus. Public transportation is not a luxury but nothing is free nowadays. Where is the company gonna get their profit from? How are they gonna improve public transportation with no money? How are the drivers gonna get paid for what they do? Guarantee no one will drive a bus around for free. Thats why public transportation companies should have programs for people who dont have the funds for a bus.
I do think that public transportation should be free because in a dire situation a person might not have enough money to for the ride that they need to get to work school or home.
Initially, I would have said that it isn't necessary for public transportation to be free, but the more I think about it the more I think it should be. In the article, a woman named Ms. Ramos says that transportation is a basic need and not a luxury, and I think this is a good point. For someone who takes the bus or subway to work everyday, the cost adds up. I know that in larger cities like New York, there are frequent rider passes that saves money, but they still tend to be pretty expensive.
At the same time, I know that bus drivers need to be paid and electricity and gas are nowhere near free, so I know that that would be a complication in making public transportation free for citizens. However, the article says that transportation is free in many European countries and cities, so this makes me think that at least some American cities could make it work.
@Hayden Carroll
I see many of the benefits and issues with this idea the same as you do. It would be nice for all cities to provide free transportation, but I believe that this is mostly unrealistic. As you said, this service would not be free, and the money being put into doing this would have to be taken from another service provided by the city. Unless I knew where the city was making the cuts with their money, I don't think I can fully get behind this plan.
On the other hand, the point of having a city government is to provide services to us citizens. I think that transportation could easily be argued as a necessary service that needs to be provided.
Overall, I think that the best way to solve this issue is to meet it halfway and lower the prices. This makes it so that it is much less expensive to use this service and it leaves the city getting some revenue to provide other services.
@Kevin O’Malley I agree that making public transport free would be largely unrealistic. You mentioned simply lowering the prices which I believe would be a good alternative. I’m a bit split on this issue but believe it is not ideal based, to some extent, on principle.
I believe that determining whether or not public transportation should be free depends on the surrounding situation, and what lawmakers want to see out of their community/city. In more cases than not, cities tend to be congested with miles of traffic that can be alleviated with the usage of public transportation, which costs money that some may not have. The public sees this as not only an opportunity to encourage more ride-sharing, but it may also better the air quality in and around roadways. However, cities like Chicago depend on bus fares and the Ventra subway system for a steady source of income and would, for that matter, never consider making these forms of transportation free. Despite the beneficial outcomes, such as reduced traffic and less environmental strain, this source of income is crucial for a city’s functionality and allows cities to improve in other sectors. A potential solution to consider would be making public transportation more accessible to a larger group of people so the transit fares are decreased, relaxing the economic strain on low-income citizens that depend on busses, trains, and subway systems.
I think that public transportation is something that should be considered as free or very low priced. Since it can be utilized by the masses, it should not be very expensive if it costs anything at all. I think that most cities take enough taxes that they should not have a problem with paying for the public transit, or pay to increase it a little. Budget changes could be put in place to change priorities to how to better help the majority of people. To get to and from school I either drive myself or ride with my mom who also works at my school. My dad drives himself and my mom also drives to work because they work in opposite directions. I travel many times sometimes for sports which can be in the morning, afternoon or evening. Also for school projects, personal reasons such as shopping or going to get food. Most of the time I end up paying for the places that I go, but it depends on the situation that I am in. Overall I assume that my average trip probably costs an average of $5-$7 total.
@Blake
I agree with you that public transportation shouldn’t cost the people of America any money and that taxes should cover the cost of public transport, at least in major cities where public transportation is a necessity. In my personal experience I don’t use public transportation very often where I live but if I go downtown to Chicago public transportation is basically required to get around the city easily. The average person shouldn’t have to spend so much money on just trying to get from one place to the other or more specifically, a student like me who’s just trying to get home.
Wilmington is a city filled with large amounts of people and subsequently traffic. People are flocking to our city left and right. With that knowledge, I thought that making public transit free would help alleviate the roads and make things run smoother. It could even help the environment with enough time. However, instead of the transit being used to decrease the number of cars, I see it being used by people who don’t have cars already. I highly doubt that making transit free would actually remove cars from our busy roads. It would probably be mostly used by the less economically-sound areas. I don’t know if that kind of system could last over time. That is why I suggest that we try out free public transit like other cities, Denver and Austin, described in the article.
I think the long term problem of public transit will be supply and demand. With every industry, there are many parts that make it up. Everyone has different jobs which ultimately work together to deliver a product. The same goes for public transit. Like Mr. Kane says, “They’re not going to work for free.” That is why in order to keep this free system afloat, there will need to be money coming from somewhere. And where does the money ALWAYS come from? Taxes! People just love taxes, don’t they? Increasing taxes by even a little bit will just brighten anyone’s beautiful day. Before trying to reform this industry based on sheer greed, let’s think and evaluate the consequences first.
@Akye Nixon-McCray I agree that the prospect of a free public transit system being misused is a problem. However, depending on the person, it could easily be seen as discrimination against those in need. In your argument, where the system is seen as solely to alleviate traffic and for environmental reasons, public transit is seen as reserved for those who already have other forms of transportation (or did at some point). Please consider that free public transit could be argued as meant for people in need.
I agree with Ms. Ramos’ comment that public transportation is “not a luxury” but a “basic need.” Most people do not work within walking distance of their house, this requires people to either drive or take a train/bus to work. If public transportation was free Ms. Ramos could save about $1752 a year, which would help Ms. Ramos immensely when she receives an unemployment check of $235 a month. I understand that cities do not want to completely take away public transportation fees because of how much money they bring into the city, but an option would be for cities to offer students and people who are unemployed to ride public transportation for free, and once students graduate or someone who is unemployed finds a job then they can start paying for their public transportation.
Public transit should be free it almost cost nothing at all to get on a bus or train at that so why not making it free. It also helps people without homes get around. Seeing homeless people sleeping at bus stations and begging for money to buy a ticket is unfair.
Public transit should be free it almost cost nothing at all to get on a bus or train at that so why not making it free it will help everyone trying to get to work school and it cost barely even nothing for a train or bus to run
@Kafale rivers I disagree with you, only because that money adds up to pay for the gas, get bus fix if need to be, or even pay the drivers. it would be great for us to ride the bus for for but not for the driver.
While it is true that cities could experience some economic burden from free public transportation, the positives of free transport trump the negatives that the city would experience. Personally, I live in a place where I am in little need of public transportation. Though, I cannot imagine how expensive those fees could add up to. Imagine having to use the money that you’re going to earn for the ride to the job itself. Many families are living off of minimum wage jobs, and having to use that money to get to the occupation must be very difficult and limiting. Because of this, I believe public transport should not be considered a luxury, but rather as an essential to keep citizens thriving.
@Ava Orr
I agree with you that public transportation should be treated as a necessity, but in towns/smaller cities it might be considered less useful, and rack up more money that's worth spending. Those who argue against providing free public transportation point out that in doing so, it will increase taxes for everyone because of the cost of doing so will rack up. It's also argued that public transportation still may go underused even if it is provided. Possibly to meet a middle ground between these two issues, instead of making public transportation completely free, we could significantly decrease the cost of bus/subway fairs, and provide free transportation for those who cannot afford that. This way public transportation can be made affordable for everyone, but it won't rack up as much debt than if it were completely free.
@Ava Orr I have to disagree that the positives of free transport "trump" the negatives. Firstly, I address the fees of public transportation: it's essentially already free. The fees barely cover the overhead of the operation of the transportation. This includes the salary of the drivers and the enormous costs of insurance. Anything else that isn't covered by the fees will be subsided by the taxpayers. If we make public transportation free, the salaries of the drivers will undoubtedly go down, and I imagine there won't even be a change in the usage of it. The stigma involved with public transit is already a leading factor why many people don't like to use it, and making it "free" will not make that stigma magically go away.
If a family is living on minimum wage, they are already so below the poverty line that saving a buck or two on public transit will not significantly increase their standard of living. Right now it's actually way cheaper to take public transit over the maintenance of a car. I've also read many people saying that it's not fair to have public transportation not free. Well, life is unfair. Nothing is free, and anyone that actually believes public transportation will cost nothing from anyone probably shouldn't be commenting on this issue. Many essential things for citizens cost money: water, food, and education, to list a few. Someone has to pay to keep these essential things for citizens to have.
I believe public transit should be free because it lowers air pollution and helps people without homes get around. Seeing homeless people sleeping at bus stations and begging for money to buy a ticket is unfair because why do unfortunate people have to pay to get from point A to point B. No one needs to pay to get to work or school. The free transportation can help and change many lives.
@Jordyn Transportation does not lower air pollution and if it was free we would need more buses and trains and that would raise air pollution. If it were free nobody would drive cars and everyone would get a free ride thus shutting down big car companies. The need for more buses and trains to keep up with how many people would want the free rides would set back expenses for paying the drivers and fixing broken things. The point about the homeless people begging for money for a ticket makes no sense, people earn their money so why should people who don't earn money be rewarded with free rides and transportation.
Public transportation should be free, sometimes we have to think about the less fortunate people. What if they want to go places but can’t because they can’t afford a bus ride. Not everyone can pay to get to where they want to go. There’s several people out here left stranded because they have no place to go.
@Ty’anna Ash I agree with you. Not everyone can afford the cost of a bus ticket, let alone the cost of their own personal vehicle. It is important that everyone has the means to get around town even if they are not as fortunate as others. Cities do need to make at least a little profit to pay the bus drivers and pay for gas, but there are other ways to make this money. They could slightly raise taxes to do this, or just only charge certain people who can afford to pay for bus passes.
Using public transportation is also beneficial to the environment. If they were free, people would be more incentivised to ride them instead of polluting the earth with gases from their own cars.
I don’t believe it should be, it is still labor after all and for some it’s their only source of income. If you can’t afford a car then you shouldn’t be excused from having to get to point A to point B. Everyone should have to pay even the smallest amount for labor whether it’s a 5 minute drive or an hour. Nothing in this world is free and a job including the safety and security of almost a hundred or more people a day, making sure they are constantly on time shouldn’t be free either. It’s still a job that has to be done and people still might get hurt if the job is not done properly, therefore despite the minor inconvenience I should still be a requirement to pay.
@Zoe
I disagree. Public transport limits pollution and allows low income people to get around more easily. I don’t think these people should be denied a way out of town. Free transportation could impact so many lives for the better.
I do acknowledge that the people driving the buses or operating the trains need to be paid, and if we don’t pay them on site, it will show up later - most likely in out taxes.
Maybe there is a possible way to compromise on the subject. Maybe for a specific distance it can be free, then over x amount of miles you have to pay a fee.
Yes, I believe public transit should be free. First of all, it limits pollution and carbon emissions by a great deal, instead of everyone taking their own cars, many people can travel in one vehicle. That reason is pretty obvious, but it should also be free because many homeless people or those with low income have no other way to get around. When I go downtown Chicago, I often see people waiting at bus stops or near the train station begging for money so they can buy a ticket to get where they need to go. I don’t see why these people who have nothing should be denied transportation, when they have no other options and end up stuck somewhere. Imagine if everyone could go anywhere they wanted in any part of the city at any time, I think people could achieve more that way. For finances, the government spends trillions on military defense, if a portion of that was used to fund public transport, all the costs could be covered and there would be no need to charge people for using it.
@Ashlee Waitkus I love the points you made in this comment! I agree with you that public transportation should be free. It will incentivize people to use public transport more, which will help our national, and global carbon footprint. In addition to this, it would help homeless people and others who cannot afford public transportation. Our society would be so much better if people would be willing to help each other out. So much more could get done, and so many more opportunities could be seized. The government spends a crazy amount of money each year, yet barely any of it goes to things like transportation. If they allocate a little bit more money, we can be on the road to starting free public transportation for all.
I believe that public transportation should be free. Often time the only way for teens to get to school is by public transportation because their parents have to work. Making transportation free for students would make it easier for them to get to school. Also, if transportation was free more people might take the buss instead of drive themselves, which in turn would help the environment because their would be gas let into the atmosphere, and it would also lower the amount of car accidents that happen.
@Anika Although you have a good point that students would only take the bus because their parents are working, I feel as though school busses and public busses are different. School busses I feel should be free as student do need that to get to and from school whereas public trains and buses should warrant a fee. If a student shows their I’d at the train station they will get a discount but totally making the cost free will over crowd the trains. Making it free will also limit maintenance and the cost of hauling cargo and gas isn’t free. A trip to the city doesn’t warrant a free trip in my eyes when people everyday need to go to work and them going to work is first priority.
As a young teen, I had to ride the city bus with my friends & it was crazy, it was not expensive, but it was a pain having to get a brand new bus pass everyday. I feel as if free public transportation would be a very good thing to have happen because it would mean more people are employing others as well as a decrease in absences in schools.
i think public transportation should be free in all states. public transit is used to take people to work, school, home, store,etc. as students in middle school or in high school buses are already free. making transportation free helps people who doesn't have a cars or any means of transportation and the distance is to far to walk. it will help people get to their jobs to their school and any other place of interest that they need to go. millions of people use public transportation everyday, but if it was free there would be way more and it help way more people
@bashir
I think you made a good point in this comment. The largest counter argument I have heard to free public transport (F.P.T) is that there is no significant data showing a connection between free public transport and fewer cars on the road, however I believe that this is not something that should be focused on when deciding on implementing F.P.T in a city. Instead I think the focus should be on the amount of people that would be able to travel more efficiently and the number of people in the city it could help, because through these two numbers one could tell the significance that F.P.T has to a city.
I believe that public transportation should be free. This is because it is important for people to be able to use public transportation and if they can’t afford it then that’s a problem. We are already have a lot of taxes and I think some of that money should go towards paying for the public transportation systems. This would impact our environment a lot because if public transportation was free, I think a lot more people would start using it and then the environment would benefit tremendously. I know there are certain places that have free transportation systems and it’s very useful. I’ve been to Colorado and some places there allow for free public transportation and so it’s helpful to be able to get on the bus and get to where ever needed without worrying about the price or having enough money on you. I think the benefits of having free public transportation are tremendous and we should definitely consider the idea.
I agree that free public transportation is a enticing idea, but it is also important to consider the financial aspect of this proposal. Nothing is free and everyone who works in the public transportation industry still needs to be payed. For communities where the use of public transportation is mostly universal, such as big cities, free public transportation could be beneficial and an important strategy to bring greater equality between socioeconomic classes; in addition, with a larger number of people using it, adding a tax on something else could be tolerated. However, in communities where public transportation is not widely used, an additional tax for a service few use would not be well met. In conclusion, the question of free public transportation should be addressed at the state and local levels to determine what is most beneficial for each individual community.
Although I agree with the claim that free transportation will not be a feasible choice due to the costs of maintaining the transportation, I believe that a small gas tax of about $.03, in certain areas, would not be that big of a deal to sustain such a impactful action. The benefits of free transportation heavily outweigh the downsides. With free transportation there is no worry about how to get to work, or if you can even afford a bus ticket, its all free and to the convenience to the citizens. Beyond that, this not only just helps Americans, it also benefits the planet. With more people taking the bus instead of their own individual cars there is much less carbon emission and green house gas. This option is far more environmentally friendly and a crucial next step in saving our planet. Which leads to the argument: is $0.03 extra really that big of a price to pay to help our fellow Americans in need get around, and to save our planet? I personally have not gotten the chance to take the bus as I live in the suburbs, but I know lots of people who heavily rely on public transportation and even more who would definitely utilize it if it is free. What is more, it is also important to remember that over 100 cities provide free public transportation. Arguably free transportation for all is a right, and should be practiced. Not only is it helping its citizens but it is also encouraging actions that can improve the health of our planet. If the Europeans can do it why can’t we?
I believe that public transit should be free because there are a lot of people who cannot afford a car, bike, or other ways of transportation, but have a job or commitment that’s far away from their home. Also, if more people were to choose public transport, there would be less cars on the road which ultimately lead to a decrease in accidents. If public transport were to be free, people would be able to take more jobs because there wouldn’t be a problem regarding transportation. Although taxes would possibly go up, if public transport were to be free, the economy would benefit.
I live in a relatively small city compared to big name cities like Boston; so, the only form of public transportation that is offered here is the bus. Similar to the city of Denver and Austin, I don’t think making public transportation free would make much of a difference for the sole factor of convenience. However, for a city like New York City, I think it would make a difference, but not for the better. Subways are convenient and fast, and if they become free, everyone is going to be riding it. However, this takes away from taxi/Uber/Lift drivers. Ultimately, it would be really nice to not have to pay for public transportation, but you are also affecting the economy.
Although I don’t think that transportation should be free, I think it should be affordable for all people. Making it affordable would still make public transportation inviting, but won’t negatively impact economies or worker's income.
@Reilly Johnson Originally my thoughts on public transportation were that it should be free for everyone, but after reading through your comment I realized that making public transportation free for everyone would also, in turn, cause a lot of problems for the economy. With the rise in popularity for transportation companies such as Uber and Lyft, it's becoming much easier to get a ride places whenever and wherever. By declaring public transportation free, we would be taking away a lot of jobs as well.
I agree that making it more affordable would help make traveling efficient for everyone. Traveling and transportation are such a vital part of human's day to day lives, so coming up with a solution such as this one would lead the way for more affordable solutions.
I believe that the public transit system should be free for everyone. By doing so we reduce the number of cars on the road which will reduce carbon emissions. We are currently in an environmental crisis and we need to do everything we can to turn it around. Extra gas taxes will not only help the state collect lost revenue but also further lower the amount of cars on the roads.
No one should have to choose between transportation or food in the richest country in the world. Transportation needs to be a right, not a privilege for the rich.
We are living in a climate crisis and one of the major factors contributing to that is transportation. Cars carrying one person are much less efficient than a bus carrying three dozen people. If we can cut down on the number of cars on the road, then we should do it.
In the article, the cost of the program was mentioned as a major sticking point for some. A proposed solution was a gas tax to make up for the lost revenue. I completely support the idea of a gas tax because it will keep even more cars off the road and make more people turn to public transport out of economic necessity. This will further reduce emissions. Another idea that I think could help with the economic concerns of some would be to take some of the money being used to subsidize water and put it towards further funding public transportation. In this country, water is artificially cheap and if you make it more expensive, studies show that water use goes down dramatically because people begin to have an economic incentive to save water. Another way that the revenue could be made up could be a tax on meat. The meat industry produces huge amounts of emissions every year and putting a tax on meat could go a long way towards reducing those emissions as well as helping Americans live healthier lifestyles.
1
@Cooper Hyldahl I agree with you. Although the government will get less money if public transportation is free, they could tax something else that is less of a necessity. People, in the city especially, need to use public transportation everyday and that causes them to have more problems with money due to this added income. Also, you are completely correct in the fact that there needs to be less cars on the street. making public transport free would certainly help this happen because people will feel less of a need to own and use a car as often.
It's already free; I see farebeaters on the metro and on buses every day here in LA. If they don't pay the full fare, some just pay part of it. If the fare is $1.75, some riders just put a dollar in the machine and walk right past the driver. The Transit cops used to board the metro and check people's TAP cards (similar to NY's Metro cards) but they stopped doing that. It's a virtual free for all, and nothing is being done to stop it.
Public Transportation is a concept meant to make our lives easier. Now, seeing that it is a risk not only on the country's economy but as well as its safety and environment I believe that it should not be free. In order for us to enhance our lifestyle and acclimate to social and physical developments of technology we must strive to support these developments. The only way possible to support them is by cooperating with ideas like public transportation being a money based notion. Public transportation not being free is a symbol representing order, if it were free chaos would barge right in and commence in its series of public humiliation and public disarray. Hence, the idea of public transportation is not based on an country's society and social norms rather it is an idea that just won't work without aid from society itself.It is society who wants to see changes and improvements in the quality and technology of these transportation vehicles, therefore they must pay for it.
I believe free transportation is a great idea. It has its negatives but overall, getting people where they need to be that cannot necessarily afford it is strengthening our society. Now more people will take jobs now that they have a way of getting there. Yes the buses may be crowded, but not only is this helping the planet by decreasing air pollution from cars, but it is helping those getting sick and freezing that have to walk to work. I question how well this tactic will work because the money will have to come from taxpayers, but if it can work in other countries like France, I’m sure it could work here and help so many people.
@Autumn Klein
I agree that free public transportation would be a good idea, but I think it would cause complications with state funding. Public transportation is an efficient way for the government to make money. It would benefit the environment by using less fossil fuels because more would be willing to use public transportation if its free, and it would aid those who have to pay to go to get to work everyday.
Although I believe these are solid reasons to make public transportation free, I think that it would create and unbalanced economy. We make some of our money off of transportation, so if we were to change the costs of transportation, we would have to change other ways to get money.
I believe that public transportation should not be free because they have to make some kind of profit but it should be more affordable. Making public transportation cheaper would make a big difference because it is saving money and you still make a profit. And some people are less fortunate. Cheaper transportation would cut down on having to get gas more often and more convenient.
@Diana Bedden When answering this question, I think it’s important to evaluate the goals and needs of the city. If the city needs to provide a better option for the less fortunate, then meeting the “basic need” would be best accomplished by making public transportation free altogether, and the profit gap could be closed with a gas tax on those who choose not to take advantage. However, if the city’s primary goal was to reduce emissions, then I believe your solution would be beneficial, since there has been no link between free public transportation and less cars on the road. In that case, public transportation becomes more affordable, the city maintains some profit, and the remaining profit gap could be closed with a minor gas tax to discourage spending on gas.
I get to and from school using a vehicle, specifically a car. My family gets to work also with a car and from work with a car. I travel around my community to but food or go to restaurants once a week or so. I also use a car to go grocery shopping or to the mall. I do not know exactly how much these trips cost me but I know my guardian pays for gas about twice a week per car. My family pays for the gas. Even though I use a car to go to and from places, I think that it would be more sustainable and helpful to the environment if I biked or walked to places such as going to and from school or carpooling with other people.
Despite the trend of other countries providing free transportation to their working citizens commuting to work, I believe the United States should not grant this to all citizens and allow all public transportation to be free. By doing so, the cities and states would lose funding and money would have to therefore be collected in different ways. Ultimately, the use of public transportation with a small fee is the most efficient way to collect funds.
After seeing points from both sides of the argument, I walked out with the view that public transit can’t be free. Things don’t pay for themselves and these transit tickets make up a pretty good amount of a cities money and I don’t think that should be taken away. Although, I do believe costs should be lowered. If the price of tickets was cut down to cost -so that there was no profit made- I believe this would bring in a ton more riders. This is especially important in today’s world because of how important saving the environment is, getting cars off the streets and utilizing eco friendly busses and trains would have a very positive impact on some of the big cities across the world.
After reading both sides of the argument on whether or not public transit should be free, I have to say I’m firm in my beliefs’ that it should not be free. Although there are many low income individuals who use the bus system to travel that would like to ride for free, the money has to come from somewhere. If not from the passengers on the bus, the money would most likely come from taxpayer dollars. As well as a money problem, I know personally I would rather drive my own car places than riding a bus. It would reduce carbon emission with less cars on the road, but I feel safer by myself than surrounded by strangers in a cramped space. Most people mind their own business and keep to themselves, but the risk of riding the bus everyday and running into a crazed person as a highschool girl does more than enough to keep me away.
I do not believe that public transportation should be free, but I do think that it needs to be affordable. In Atlanta, Marta is the public transportation system, and many people ride too and from downtown on the train for a $2-3 round trip. I did think it was interesting how Denver and Austin tried to make transit free but saw it as an unsuccessful experiment that increased ridership from 20% to 60%. The problem is if people are riding public transportation but not paying any money, then it doesn't matter whether or not people are riding it because the city has to make up the money somewhere. Taxes will likely go up, and for people that don't even use public transportation it would be a waste of their money.
@Doug I completely agree with your thoughts on this. It’s true that everyone likes free stuff, but the value of free public transportation would be decreased as it will be free and common. Firstly, this will impact transportation companies the most because they would have loss. Secondly, there would be an economic loss in the country because there are already many homeless, jobless people and on top of that, cutting costs would result in less vacancies.
Normally, my parents drive me to and from school. I never use public transportation because it is easier to drive around our suburban area. My parents pay for gas and stop multiple times per wee. While I have never used public transportation other than taking the train to New York City or the subway, I think it is crucial for those who don't have cars. I used to live in North Jersey, where public transportation was very popular. It is the best option for those without cars because it saves them time and energy.
I found it interesting to see how different people felt about viewing public transportation. Yes, there will always be people who are for it, some who are against it, and those who are neutral who don't necessarily have an opinion. I kind of feel more that public transport should be free, but also have a way where the drivers are able to make an income. Perhaps the city can pay for gas but also provide a manageable salary for those who have a public service. I kind of feel like the fares for a public transport should be no more than five dollars. You don't know who is using the transport; poor, snobby rich, or the average person. It is public so that it is readily available for those who need a ride. To school I drive myself, and I drive myself to work.
@Kristy Daly I also found the diversity of the comments very interesting. Although I understand where you’re coming from in the sense of the consideration of types of classes, with free transportation taxes would be raised because the driver and company need money. The company cant just pay for gas and just pay the 687,200 bus drivers around the us. The money Average bus fares are 2.60. No more than 5 dollars. Most bus drivers live off of the salary that they make driving. They are driving you around which is known as a “service”, it’s not so much something nice that they are doing but rather their living. I fully get what you are saying, but I think the lives of the people working shouldn’t be sacrificed for a free ride.
While I do not believe that free public transport should be a right, I do believe that it would greatly contribute to several cities that are suffering with pollution and traffic crises. Making free public transportation a right would establish that it would have to be established in even some of the most rural areas of the country, which would prove to be challenging and expensive. However I do see it as a viable solution for future cities.
My mom drives me to and from school. I also drive to work. Usually my friend and I drive around a lot. Living in the suburbs, it's difficult to get around without using our cars. Everything is just too far to walk around. For me, I get gas every week, usually only once, because I do drive quite a lot. I share my car with all three of my siblings, too, so when my brother and sister are home from college, we get gas more often. I pay for it myself.
For me, I get to school by carpool, and I go home on the subway. Both my parents have jobs that require a car. My dad is a doctor, and his office is in New Jersey, and my mom works around at different stores to sell stuff to China, because they don’t have good items, and a lot of baby powder is very toxic in China. Most of the time I go to church, we walk. All of our community is very close a few minute's walks, so we only drive if we need to go somewhere far away, or we’re sending older people home. I know that gas costs a lot, but it’s not that bad. We stop for gas on a ten-hour trip, maybe once or twice. Our school pays for us to get a transpass so students can access Septa (our subway). It’s really such a privilege to be able to go back and forth for free, and not worry about how much it costs.
My opinion on public transportation is that it should be free for students but not for adults. The public transportation in my city is really dirty and people don’t follow rules. Sometimes, people just take out an e-cigarette or cigarette and start smoking in my face. Second-hand smoking is bad for kids and it affects my health. Although I do agree that it reduces pollution a little, I still feel as though the city won’t get a lot of money. When I went to Maryland, there were a few busses that you could ride for free and I feel like that’s the best option there is. Having a few busses that you could ride for free (like the specific number/ route of the bus) means that you’re allowing people who are struggling financially to get on instead of having to walk like 3 miles. I take the subway to and from school for free because according to my school’s rules, you get to ride public transportation for free if you have the student’s pass. You could only get that pass if you live 2.5 miles or more away from school. Regularly, it would cost $2.50. As for my family, we usually have a car to go to places but my dad bikes to and from work. On days that don’t have favorable weather, he takes public transportation.
For me, I think that public transit should be free for one main reason. At my school we have this thing called a trans pass that can get us students on the bus, trolley, or train. But there is one piece of criteria that you must meet to get one of these transpasses, you must live outside of a 1.5-mile radius. That means that I do not fit the criteria, therefore, I do not get a trans pass. So when my friends and I want to do something after school together, I am not able to get on the bus to get where we need to go. Another reason that public transit should be free is that if I’m in the city and I don’t have a way to get home so my first option would be a public bus and I don’t have any money, I would not be allowed to enter the bus meaning I would have absolutely no way home.
Usually my younger brother and I walk to and from school, but recently I have been taking him into the city on public transport for martial arts lessons. We have to catch two buses in order to get there, which costs us a total of $10 every day that we go. Since we live less than a mile away from our school, we are not provided with transpasses, which is a free card that the school district provides for students so that they do not have to pay $5 a day ($2.50 twice). Our parents fill our cards up for my brother and I.
I get to and from school by car, but I used to take public transportation a lot. My parents get to and from work as well. A bus and subway fare in Philadelphia is $2.50. This is provided by the school with a "student transpass" which is a card you get to ride any public transportation free if you live more than a certain amount of miles from school. I agree with Ms. Ramos with her statement that public transportation is a “basic need” for some people. It is important that people get where they are going especially school because education is important for our future. On the other hand, the bus drivers still need to be paid because it wouldn’t be fair for them to get nothing.
Honestly, I think that the public transportation should not be free but at a lower price. I feel like it would be a great choice for the environment because more people would use the opportunity and save some money. While on the other hand, it would also cut on some of the profit but everyone will get their share of what they work for. I understand that this would be a very hard diction but I think it would eventually result as a better result because there is only one earth and there are 7.5 billion of us.
I personally don't think that public transport should be free. Not only would that lead to backlash from the public due to financial concerns, not much change will occur through it. To start off, public transport needs someone to drive it, and right now, drivers are basically paid by their riders. If we make public transportation free, then we are left to consider who will pay the drivers and other workers affiliated with public buses and trains. The only possible answer is the taxpayer, which would then mean that a portion of everyone's taxes, regardless of whether or not they use public transport, would go towards paying for it. Otherwise, if we came up with a more technological solution to public transport, such as automating it so human drivers wouldn't be needed, that would lead to thousands of people losing their jobs. However, I do understand that many people, especially students, would greatly benefit from free public transport. But I believe that that specific problem should be tackled by specific institutions. For example, my high school has free bus transportation to and from our school. I also know that another argument in favor of free public transport is the reduction of our carbon footprint; however, I don't think that people will abandon their cards with the introduction of free public transport because many would still prefer the efficiency and convenience that lies in personal transport.
Regarding the topic of free public transportation, there would certainly be concerns economically regarding making public transport free, but the reduce of carbon emissions and the overall benefits outweigh those concerns for me. As the earth warms more and more every year, the amount of carbon emissions being put out by cars is something that needs to be addressed, and reduced, and having free public transportation would definitely help. I think there are definitely some circumstances that should be brought into account before this, however, including the amount of people who would use free public transportation. If public transportation is made free and there are still little to no people riding buses and trains, then it would simply be money going to waste, so I think free transportation actually bringing benefits would really depend on the area. I get to and from school by riding the bus, and that also brings up the point of who requires public transit the most, which would be students, and people living in poverty who need ways to get to work or school without having to pay. For these people, I would agree that free public transportation is a basic need, and it should be provided.
My reaction is that the government officials are right. People can’t drive and maintain the buses and subway lines for free, they need to get paid. And if public transportation is free, the government will have to find a different source to pay the public transportation employees. I still think that free public transportation is a great idea, and should be in every city. However, people can’t get mad when the city government raises certain taxes like the gas tax. It cost $2.50 to any bus or subway except the regional line. I think the fare isn’t that bad. Since I take the subway to school, I get a Student Pass, so I ride for free. The fare doesn’t affect me, so I don’t have a great say in if the fare is fair or not, but I believe that it is affordable.
While many fair points were stated in this article, such as people using the bus because they cannot afford a car, and it reducing the use of cars for the environment, bus fares should remain in service. Like many others stated, the buses would be overused and crowded. Additionally, bus drivers need to be paid, no one is willing to work for free (especially bus drivers). If the fee is too pricy people could walk or bike, or if it became a severe issue, the mayor could lower the fare price. While most people who ride the bus are either in college or just can’t afford a car at all, they could use modern day things such as uber or get a ride from a friend.
I take public transit home from school whenever I have an after school club, which is about 3 out of 5 days a school week. Most people take public transit because they don't have the money to buy a car, or they're too young to buy one. Lots of people say that it costs money for public transit because the government needs money, but the thing I’ve noticed is that the government can pay $74,030 and up to $101,470 a year for public transit cops just to make sure they don’t let a few people go free. I think making NY trains and buses free wouldn't be a bad idea. In fact, I think people should be able to go wherever they want without fee.
Before reading this article, I thought that public transit shouldn’t be free because that would be a lot of money lost for the city, and there wouldn’t be a way for the people that work in public transportation to get paid. However, after reading the article, I now think that public transport could be free. I did not realize how some people could barely even pay for their fare for public transportation, which seems like something everyone should be able to pay for. This makes me believe that public transportation should be free. Also, it is interesting to hear that the money lost from making transit free could be gained back by raising the gas price by 2 cents.
Nowadays, easy transportation should be a necessity for everyone. There are many people who do not have cars, so free transit would be good for the community. This is why I think public transportation should be free.
In my opinion, public transportation should be free for certain people. My reasoning behind that is some people might use it for a bad reason. While there are others that can’t afford it and really need to get to where there going. If they decide to make public transportation a definite thing it will help a lot of people out in a big way.
I think that in some places public transit should be free and in others, it shouldn’t. In places like Boston, it seems very inconvenient and like a loss of a lot of money. Also, people won’t do the work for free, the bus drivers have to get paid. But, in other places lost more people would use it and fewer cars would be used. In places like this, it seems like a good change that will overall help the city.
The argument of making public transit free proposes a great argument. The thought of it is great in theory however, when fully contemplating it, it isn't. It would save people money who live in poverty and are just trying to get to work or school. With the prices of bus tickets being free, more people would ride the bus, which would be a greater impact on the environment as there would be fewer cars. Although the article does mention that the people who are riding the bus can't afford cars, therefore an increase in people riding the bus wouldn't necessarily lower emissions. However, it would also make the buses more crowded. The main question being posed is who would pay for it. The money that would normally be received from bus fares is many, many millions. Without that money, the bus drivers, the engineers, and so on would not be able to be paid. Overall, bus fares should not be free as having it free would crowd the buses, have no positive impact on the environment, and it would be very difficult for the government to afford it.
I think public transportation should be free. The costs of buses or subways now are significant enough that many impoverished people might never even get the chance to find a job to cover their transportation fees. Not to mention that available public transportation would eventually cut down on carbon emissions, especially if it became popular enough to convince those who owned cars to take it as well—but for me, the popularity of it is not the issue. Everyone should have a chance at a stable income, and that wouldn’t be available to some without free public transportation.
I think that public transportation could be a way to make a city More accessible, but before reading this article I did not think it was logistically possible. Apparently, in Massachusetts they have already began experimenting with free bus fares which I hope go well. The concept seems wonderful to me but I have a few concerns, one being how many people would ride the bus. If the busses got too crowded they may need more of them which would cost additional money.
If the trails in Massachusetts go successfully then I hope that it is possible for free transportation to be available everywhere but this will be a significant challenge.
Personally, I don’t think that public transport should be free. It may come off to be a little selfish but I think that it would just increase the amount of people that use public transportation. I am aware that it is better for the environment however it would make the buses more crowded. Already most of the time there are many people waiting for the bus/train and it already feels crowded. When I go home from school, I usually don’t get to have a seat. Because of this more buses/trains will be required. Also most people who own a car have it because they don’t like public transportation. One reason would be because it often smells terrible in the subway and at bus stops many people smoke cigarettes. Inhaling the smoke from cigarettes is not healthy and they would also rather have transportation whenever they need it. Sometimes public transportation isn’t trustworthy and could cause someone to be late. If people use their car and not the bus or train, then the environment won’t actually be getting much better.
1
I don’t believe that public transportation is a right, but I am definitely for peer public transport. It helps people who can’t get around in other ways to have an equal opportunity in the job market. It makes sense that we should try to lift up those in poverty however we can.
I recognize that there are financial concerns. The fares pay to keep the transportation running, but through an increase in taxes or another look at the city budget. This would not only benefit poor people, but those in the middle class too. Free public transportation may not decrease the amount of cars on the streets right now, but if free public transport becomes more popular, it could. Cities should consider all the benefits free public transportation poses.
After reading this article my opinion on this stays the same. If the transportation was free it would become over used and the drivers would be also. These drivers need money and to pay for this gas even though public transportation money that was made was low it’s still income and like said in the article nothing is free.
When my family was in Maryland and D.C. we had so much fun walking places and my brother was telling me about times he rode the metro or the bus to get to and from work. He said he enjoyed it but it puts a hole in his pocket when it comes to the fares he must face.
In the article Mr. Rivera states that city transportation “isn’t a service people need to pay for; it’s a public good.” The article also mentions how about 100 cities around the world have already made public transportation free due to the fact of it not being a service people shall pay for, but something that shall be free for the community.
Although I think that making public transportation free would take away jobs and make communication longer, it would provide an equality experience to transportation and conserve more energy if people used cars less. Whenever I go downtown Chicago my friends and I always discuss how we are getting around because either way it’s always going to cost money. If public transportation were to be free I believe that less cars would be on the road, people could have more encounters with their city and eve gibe would take an advantage away.
In today’s world so many people are at disadvantage in society, and a car plus car insurance is ridiculously expensive for people working minimum wage jobs, and it is almost impossible to get to work for most people with out motor transportation such as car, train or bus. As cars become more and more expensive so does all other transportation such as a bus or train ride which is what most people with out a car take, which is still very expensive. I believe though that our government should take a step up in realizing that the labor in this country would be so much more productive if everyone could get to where they needed to be on time and without having to pay so much for a car and car insurance and for that reason I believe that public transportation should be free in today’s world. It would make our country a better place over all and it would change the lives of so many for the better
@Nico Spadavecchia I disagree, I don’t think people would be more productive if transportation was free. It would be good to lower the prices but making transportation free would put a lot more peoples jobs in danger and would probably hurt more people than it would help.
Let me start off by saying that although I think the ideal of public transport is nice I have one question. Who is going to be paying for everybody’s rides, the gas money and all of the other expenses that come with running a bus? I have lived in several places around North Carolina and I have seen public transport be used the most in Jacksonville. Some of my friends have taken taxis to school, I have personally ridden buses to and from out of state so I am pretty familiar with public transport and its benefits.
While I am here I would like to answer the question of should getting to and from work and school be a privilege. I think that children that can’t work are rightly given the privilege of getting to ride buses to and from school for “free.” On the other hand, unless your job has a bus that picks up employees to take you to and from work, I think people able to work should pay for transport. As Mr. Kane said in the article, nothing in this world is free so either way, in the end, tax-payers will be paying for able adults to have rides to work.
I am aware of the conversation about public transport and carbon footprints. If I don’t know anything else I do know that if every person on earth gave up using cars it would greatly benefit our dying planet.
Although public transportation might seem affordable to some, it can get very costly if one is heavily reliant on it. Living in Atlanta, public transportation can get costly, costing $5 for a round trip on the MARTA. Consider paying that amount to get to and from work while working a minimum wage job, the cost could really cut into your paychecks. It isn't unlikely that many would be unable to travel to sustain their jobs and it might make it more difficult to find a job closer to their homes. Providing free public transportation would not only help keep afloat those in financial hardship but would also help keep cars off the road which would help alleviate the stress that car exhausts put on the climate. In a recent NY Times article it was reported that 2019 was the second hottest year ever following 2016 and that says a lot about the trajectory of our planet and our future. Sitting in the gnarly Atlanta traffic everyday during my commute to school, I am no stranger to the fact that the use of cars is increasing and the standstill traffic is not helping our sustainability efforts. There are many fiscal concerns to consider when making the decision to make public transport free but it will be worth the effort. Free public transport would help stabilize the workforce, alleviate the worsening traffic, as well as push our sustainability efforts in a positive direction. With all these positive impacts that this change could have, isn’t it worth the effort to try and implement it?
1
I think that public transportation should be free. I think it should be free because not everyone can necessarily afford to take the bus or the train. Also it depends on where you live, for example if you live in the Midwest, you don’t want to have to walk places in the winter because it gets really cold, but for some people that’s the only option because they might not be able to afford to constantly spend 6 dollars on a train ticket or take the bus. I think the fares are decent, they could maybe be a little cheaper to help people get around, and give people more of a range of places to go. All in all, I think that public transportation should be free because it would benefit lots of people who live in places like cities where you don’t really want a car. Beyond that, I also think that free transportation wouldn’t really affect society in a negative way, cause if anything it is helping people.
@Hudson Williams
I believe access to a strong public transportation is important in order to help people get to jobs and to eliminate cars and reduce carbon emmissions. Unfortunately, I live in a small city where there is only one public transportion option, our local bus system. Currently our local government leaders are thinking of cutting funding to it, which might eliminate routes. I think this is short sighted as a good transportation system helps people work and be independent. The leaders are worried about spending a few hundred thousand dollars to help support transit, when they would easily get that money back in taxes if people could get to work. Not to mention, it would cut back on traffic and the cost of building more roads for cars. Finally, given the state of our planet right now, I believe that it is important to make every effort to decrease the amount of pullution and emmisions from cars.Making public transport free of cost is a great incentive for people to choose a sustainable transportation option. Personally, I think raising gas prices or putting taxes on cars that get bad gas mileage would be more likely to push people toward making better decisisons to protect the planet. Taxes and fees are the stick. Free public transportation is the carrot.
Public transit provided by the city should absolutely be free. It may seem counterintuitive at first, but, as Ellen Barry says, it pays off. The cost of collecting the fares was too high to offset the profit (or lack thereof), so why not make it free?
The issue of declining ridership is addressed, too; if it’s free, more people will use it. Worcester is a good example of this: ridership increased greatly increased after the city made the buses free.
This, in a nutshell, is why city public transit should be free.
The people in my neighborhood usually get around by subway, bus, car, bicycle, or walking. However, a lot of people take public transportation. I think that public transit should be free because some people can’t afford a car, or may not be able to get enough money for rides everyday to and from work. Besides, there isn’t a lot of revenue from the bus fares, so it wouldn’t affect the city's spending amount. I get to school through carpool and get home by subway. My parent’s walk to and from work. Free public transportation is provided by the school district, which has an agreement with the owner of the subways and buses. I know that every trip on public transportation where I live is $2.5, and is expensive for students who do not get free rides. I think that public transportation is a basic need for everyone, as people need to get to places, but may not have enough money to do so (i.e. unemployed people). Free transportation should be a thing where I live.
On the daily bases, I take public transportation, such as the bus or train to and from school. I travel with my two older siblings in the morning, and take the bus home by myself. I also take public transportation over the weekends to get to the city or to my friends’ houses. Other activities that are farther away, such as soccer practice or games, I get driven by my parents. My school provides every student farther than 1.5 miles away from school with a weekly transpass, which some people use and others don’t. In my case, I use them.
I get to school using public transportation but my family owns a car so we go to most places with that. However, I think free public transportation would be very beneficial. Especially since it would encourage people to use the bus or train which can reduce our carbon footprint. With climate change being such a big issue right now I think many people would encourage this change. In my community, I think pretty much everybody uses public transportation and at least in my neighboorhood, there are no stereotypes about public transportation. As far as the police thing goes I think that making the buses and trains free would decrease the needs for police officers and therefore decrease the number of people being targeted for there race, which is another major issue. Making buses free could help us reduce carbon emissions and encourage racial integration. why wouldn't we do it?