CoPIRG applauds new bill tackling air pollution by temporarily eliminating transit fares for agencies like RTD, expanding statewide Bustang service

The $58 million proposal will expand transit options during the upcoming summer ozone seasons

CoPIRG

DENVER – CoPIRG applauds the introduction of a new bill, SB22-180, that will invest $58 million in eliminating transit fares for at least a month during summer ozone season for agencies like RTD and providing money to help more than double existing statewide Bustang service over the next three years. Coming off a record-breaking ozone air pollution summer, the bill, sponsored by Senators Faith Winter and Nick Hinrichsen and Representatives Matt Gray and Jennifer Bacon, puts into motion a November proposal by Governor Polis to reduce harmful ozone air pollutants from Colorado’s transportation system by expanding access to clean transit options.

“We’re only months away from our next ozone season and we can’t afford not to tackle one of the leading sources of ozone pollution – our gas and diesel-powered vehicles,” said Danny Katz, CoPIRG executive director. “Last summer, when public health experts asked Coloradans to limit driving, too many people had too few clean travel options and were forced to continue to drive to do everything. By eliminating fares and expanding transit service, we’re making it easier for people to complete trips without polluting our air.”

Done well, eliminating transit fares can increase transit ridership. A Victoria Transportation Policy Institute review of discounted transit fare programs in other regions found that for every 10% decrease in ticket prices, ridership grows by 2-5% in the short-term and 6-9% in the long-term. More recently, Utah Transit Authority just completed their “Free Fare February” pilot and their online dashboard shows that ridership increased 17% during weekdays, 58% on Saturdays, and 33% on Sundays during the program. Many transit providers in Colorado already offer fare-free service.

Fare-free transit provides other benefits including reducing transportation costs for Coloradans. In addition, by removing fare box collection, buses save time on-boarding people, which can lead to more reliable service, and reduces conflicts between drivers and passengers, making transit safer for frontline workers. 

In an interview with Marketplace, the CEO of Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Robbie Makinen said, “Our incident rates on our vehicles actually went down significantly,” when they switched to zero-fare in the early days of the pandemic. Makinen added in the interview that the most common source of conflict on city buses was disputes over rider fares.

“Fare-free transit allows everyone to come together from local governments to businesses, social service agencies to riders and ensure everyone knows and is recruited to get on the bus or train this summer,” said Katz. 

The bill will also invest $30 million in Colorado’s statewide bus system Bustang. Launched in 2015, the Bustang’s impact significantly grew from 102,503 annual riders in its first year to 238,302 annual riders in its fourth year. 

Currently, Bustang only offers six options a day to travel between Denver and Fort Collins on the north line, six buses a day between Denver and Colorado Springs on the South line, and four buses a day between Denver and communities along the I-70 mountain corridor. 

$30 million over three years would be enough to more than double service along all the Bustang routes. 

“I-25 and I-70 are extremely busy corridors packed with cars that are polluting our air. Significantly ramping up Bustang service so a bus comes every hour makes this a real option for a lot more people, especially when the bus can use some of the state’s managed lanes to provide a fast, reliable inter-city trip for residents and visitors.”    

SB22-180 heads to the Senate Transportation and Energy cmte for its first hearing on Tuesday, March 29, at 2pm. 

UPDATE – The bill passed committee on March 29.