Free ride: DC unveils bold plan to boost public transit

WASHINGTON (AP) — The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare for the District of Columbia and other major cities that public transit was a lifeline for essential workers and that even modest fares could be a burden to them. So the nation’s capital is introducing a groundbreaking plan: It will begin offering free bus fares to residents next summer. It comes at a time when major cities including Los Angeles, Boston and Denver and states such as Connecticut are considering broader zero-fare policies to promote equity and help regain ridership that was lost with the rise of remote and hybrid work. Analysts say D.C.’s free fare system offers a good test case on how public transit can be reshaped for a post-pandemic future.