“I suspect it will be hard to continue to support it— and hard to stop supporting it, as well. It is a political risk”
Washington’s city council may have taken this debate to its logical extreme. Earlier this month, the council passed a resolution to make all public transit in the nation’s capital free, starting next summer. Whether you’re a resident or a tourist, whether you need to ride one block or across town — your fare will be paid by the city, i.e., local taxpayers.
A final vote will be held on December 20. If the measure is approved, Washington will be America’s largest city to offer free public transit. A few municipalities took similar steps during the Covid pandemic to ensure health workers had reliable transportation, and calls began to mount across the country for more widespread subsidies.
Washington’s far-reaching policy carries with it a number of issues. One is technical: The capital borders Maryland and Virginia, and some bus routes cross state lines. Mayor Muriel Bowser has signaled that she’s unenthused at the prospect of D.C. residents paying for their neighbors’ rides out of town, insisting that people from neighboring states should share the burden.
But beyond that, there’s the cost — $42 million from the municipal budget. Why not invest the money in more frequency, more drivers, more bus routes, more hours of service? Two Northwestern University transportation experts weighed in on the issue with Mishpacha.
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