Release Date: October 24, 2024
Contact: Pete Wilson, 617-877-0436
Alexis Walls, 410-935-9819
Greenfield, MA—The Regional Transit Authorities Advocates Coalition (RTAAC) joined the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s event announcing the newest round of Fare Free Pilot Program grants open to the Commonwealth’s 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs). These grants direct $30 million from the FY25 budget to support fare free RTA programs for the rest of the fiscal year that ends on June 30, 2025.
Today’s announcement of awardees for this year’s RTA Fare Free Pilot Program recognizes the need for affordable transportation in the over 250 communities that fall within an RTA service area in Massachusetts. When fares are eliminated in RTA service areas, ridership increases significantly, providing residents an affordable option to get to jobs, healthcare appointments, school, economic opportunities, and social engagements.
In addition to the Fare Free Grant Program, the Administration and Legislature have significantly increased operating funding for RTAs over the past two budget cycles. This has resulted in expanded bus routes, more frequent service, and night and weekend service. The increase in RTA funding is a real investment in public transportation across the Commonwealth. Taken together, this is a starting point of a strong commitment from state leaders to fund RTAs at a level where they can continue to expand service to meet the needs of communities statewide.
“Affordable public transportation is critical to help Massachusetts residents access resources and opportunities that help them lead healthy and thriving lives. By prioritizing free fares for RTA riders, and expanding service through significant investments over the last two budget cycles, the Administration and the Legislature have provided a lifeline to residents outside of the MBTA service area,” said Alexis Walls of The Massachusetts Public Health Alliance and one of the co-chairs of RTAAC.
“These investments dispel the myth of a binary choice between increased service and affordability. As a result of these grants, we have seen increased RTA ridership statewide to provide the residents of the Commonwealth more options in how they get around in their daily lives,” said Pete Wilson of Transportation for Massachusetts. Wilson and Walls serve as the co-chairs of a coalition that advocates on behalf of communities served by RTAs.
“We look forward to partnering with the Healey Administration and the Legislature to ensure these pilot programs, which we know increase access to affordable transit for residents, are sustainably funded for the future and made a permanent part of RTA funding.”
Funding for RTAs has increased from $96.5 million in FY2023 to over $200 million in the current FY2025 budget. This additional funding, through the Education and Transportation Fund, has provided additional funding to the RTAs for operating, free fare grants, and other grant programs to increase connectivity and invest in rural communities.
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About RTAAC
The Regional Transit Authority Advocates Coalition (RTAAC) is a coalition of over 80 community groups, human services providers, transportation advocates, and local leaders who provide a strong, unified voice for transit users in RTA service areas across Massachusetts. The RTAAC advocates for funding and policies that aim to strengthen regional transit services to better meet the needs of communities. The RTAAC is co-led by T4MA and the Massachusetts Public Health Alliance (MPHA).