The City of Philadelphia reported that the first year of its "Zero Fare" pilot program with SEPTA yielded "positive results" and will begin the second phase of its plan to provide free public transit to low-income residents.
The initiative launched in August 2023, distributing 24,000 SEPTA Key card passes to people living in poverty; the city had subsidized fares through direct payment to the transit authority, giving those with the passes unlimited taps on buses, subway, trolleys and Regional Rail.
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According to the City, about 90% of the chosen participants were selected at random using administrative data, while the remaining 10% were enrolled through community organizations serving immigrant and refugee populations. Residents cannot ask to be part of the pilot program.
Program participants have taken over 4.3 million trips, and approximately 64% of people in the pilot's first year are still using SEPTA services, the City says. A majority of Zero Fare trips (63%) were on buses, while a quarter of all trips were on the subway. 9% were on trolleys while about 3% were on Regional Rail.
"During the first year of the pilot program, we’ve seen improved quality of life for many residents using the benefit," said the program's director Nicola Mammes in a statement. "Participants have shared with us that riding public transportation at no cost to them has provided significant cost savings and has improved access to medical appointments, childcare, and job opportunities."
For the second year, the City will give out an additional 20,000 Zero Fare key cards to eligible participants. 19,000 of them will be mailed to residents through a lottery and the remaining 1,000 cards will be distributed by community partners.
Participants can use the Zero Fare benefit for at least a year or longer depending on age-eligibility and their time of enrollment in the pilot program.
"Improving quality of life for all Philadelphia residents is a priority of this Administration, and we are laser-focused on those residents in lower-income households who can prosper with greater access to benefits available to them,” Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a statement.
"This impactful initiative has broken down income barriers, making essential trips easier for thousands of residents," Leslie S. Richards, CEO and general manager of SEPTA said. "As the Zero Fare pilot enters its second year, we look forward to continued evaluation of its benefits that will support permanent expansion. We also encourage neighboring counties to explore similar equitable public transit access initiatives."