Fare-free transit programs are increasingly used to increase ridership and reduce household transportation costs, especially for lower-income households. In California, where fewer than ten percent of school trips are made on school buses and many students travel long distances to reach school, transit costs and access can pose real barriers to education and after-school opportunities. At the same time, fare-free programs require substantial and ongoing public investment, raising important questions about whether eliminating fares alone is enough to meaningfully change student travel behavior.
