Fare Free Public Transportation: A full-scale real-world experiment in Alexandria, Virginia

Abstract

The Fare Free Public Transportation (FFPT) concept and the related measures to improve transit offer is in the agenda of transit agencies, state and federal policy makers. The subject is even more important in the post-pandemic phase when transit use is slowly recovering and has not yet reached pre-pandemic ridership and market share. FFPT has been implemented in Europe and to a certain degree in the USA; however, there are very few studies that have followed the experiments, collected data, and evaluated the consequences. This study will monitor a full scale, real world, FFPT plan to be implemented starting from fall 2021 in Alexandria, Virginia. The researcher will work with local authorities and will support the transit agency (DASH) by providing rigorous measures of changes in travel behavior and social welfare. In particular, the following indicators will be estimated: modal shift from car and other modes to transit, accessibility and equity, and customer satisfaction. This policy evaluation is expected to be of interest not only to Alexandria, but will be a reference for many stakeholders across the country that are considering adopting similar policies in other cities.

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Universities Involved

University of Maryland

Virginia Tech

Principle Investigator(s)

Dr. Cinizia Cirillo, University of Maryland, ccirillo@umd.edu

Dr. Hesham Rakha, Virginia Tech, hrakha@vtti.vt.edu

Funding Sources and Amounts

USDOT: $120,000 (Federal), UMD: $40,000 (Match), VTECH: $20,000 (Match)

Start Date

Oct. 1, 2021

Expected Completion Date

Sept. 30, 2022

Expected Reseearch Outcomes

This project offers the unique opportunity to monitor an ambitious project that aims at providing a fare free, frequent service that offers larger coverage and increased connectivity. Therefore, several important outcomes are expected from this project. Our results and our recommendations will be transferred to DASH and the AVT Board of Directors for an evidence based plan evaluation and to inform next stages of the plan. Other transit agencies and major cities across the nation will refer to these results to design and implement their own plans.

Expected Equity Impacts and Benefits of Implementation

The outcomes of the plan will be evaluated across different communities and population groups, including low income, elderly, single parents. Outcomes from this project are expected to address systematic inequities in the accessibility to opportunities and services by disadvantaged segments of the population. Finally, we aim to provide training to students and professionals in the area of public transportation system design and operation.

Subject Areas

Public Transportation, Fare Policies, Accessibility