SRTA’s first full year of fare-free bus service has been successful, according to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, with significant increases in ridership and better on-time service — and a majority of people polled approve.
A new report released today from the MBPC, a statewide think tank, looked at data from the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority since SRTA first stopped collecting fares on Jan. 1, 2024.
According to the numbers, the number of people riding SRTA buses grew 56.5% from July to November 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
Ridership also increased significantly compared to other nearby regional bus systems that continued to charge fares. Moreover, buses kept on schedule more often, since drivers didn’t have to wait for riders to pay before sitting.
SRTA serves 10 cities and towns in Greater Fall River and Greater New Bedford, and connects the two cities. It is using state funding from the Fair Share Amendment, commonly called the “millionaire’s tax,” to keep rides free until at least June 30.
Here’s a closer look at the data, and what it means:
Express service: SRTA to start free faster rides between Fall River, New Bedford
When did SRTA stop collecting fares?
SRTA first piloted a “Try Transit” program for the holiday shopping season from Nov. 25 and Dec. 31, 2022.
“A state evaluation concluded it was a successful experiment,” wrote Phineas Baxandall, policy director at the MBPC, in a report. “A Massachusetts Department of Transportation evaluation of the found an increase in ridership attributed to free fares, though noted that the experiment was too short for clearer results.”
The program returned on Jan. 1, 2024, for six months; SRTA later extended it another fiscal year, until June 30.
A man rides the bus as it makes its way past the mural of a Buddha painted on the side of the Spicy Lime building in downtown New Bedford.
SRTA ridership is up, even compared to other nearby bus systems
According to the report and SRTA data, there were more than 2.7 million rides on SRTA’s fixed-route bus system in 2024. That’s up from 2.2 million in 2023 and 2 million the year before.
The number of SRTA bus riders has also increased steadily and significantly every quarter: from just over 558,000 in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 to almost 874,000 in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 — a 56.5% increase.
SRTA also runs an on-demand service for disabled people in all 10 cities and towns, which has also been fare-free. That service also became more popular, from about 23,000 rides in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 to almost 30,000 in the same period in fiscal 2025.
The MBPC noted that as SRTA ridership grew significantly, ridership on the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority and the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority buses grew by only 3.9% and 4.4% respectively.
The group said that while both CCRTA and GATRA also get funding from the millionaire’s tax, those services still charge fares.
Bus rides are on-time more often
According to the MBPC report and SRTA data, eliminating fares seems to have helped bus drivers save time.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2024, buses were on time 87% of the time. In the first quarter of 2025, that improved to 90%.
The MBPC report attributed the time savings to not having to collect fares, since bus drivers don’t have to wait as long when picking up passengers before moving on to the next stop.
Not having to collect fares may also make a driver’s job safer and better; the report stated that “ongoing challenges recruiting and retaining bus drivers … can be eased when bus drivers can focus on travel and greeting passengers rather than unpleasant and sometimes dangerous interactions over fare payment.”
“Bus drivers don’t split their attention between driving and guarding against people sneaking in the back doors,” Baxandall wrote.
From left, Eric Carvalho, driver, Marty Burke, John Lebert and Tony Sousa, driver, discuss some of the efforts being put in place to protect drivers at the New Bedford SRTA bus terminal.
Poll shows support for keeping buses fare-free
A survey, conducted by the MassINC Polling Group in March of 500 people living in SRTA cities and towns, showed that even though 87% of people did not use SRTA bus services, 66% of people support not charging fares — and 60% of people want to continue using the funds from the millionaire’s tax to pay for it.
State Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, and chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, stated that he made transportation funding a “top priority” in the state’s 2025 budget.
“This is especially important to help support and alleviate the cost burden for our transportation workforce in the Southcoast,” he stated.
“Many of our residents rely on public transit to get to their job, medical appointments, school, the grocery store, and so many more daily life necessities,” stated state Sen. Marc Montigny, D-New Bedford. “Funding this service provides a real, immediate impact to positively improve lives.”
Could SRTA’s free rides continue?
The MBPC report notes that the MBTA’s South Coast Rail line is due to open this spring with stations in Fall River, Freetown and New Bedford, and that a 2023 study commissioned by SRTA shows routes as they exist now “will not provide a reliable, high-quality connection” to those stations.
“Free SRTA service combined with low-income fares for commuter rail would also allow the new rail service to better serve low- and moderate-income families,” the report says. “At present, housing prices around New Bedford and Fall River have been increasing. Families straining to cover rising rents would find their challenges a little easier if trips to the South Coast Rail station and elsewhere didn’t require fares.”
SRTA’s fare-free experiment will last until at least June 30; whether it continues past that has not been decided.
But the report notes that the cost of collecting fares itself may not be worth the money.
“The costs related to fareboxes, money pick up and counting, accounting, banking, security, and credit card transactions, add up — as does the additional time paid to drivers as a result of ‘dwell time’ — waiting for passengers to pay their fare,” the report states. “CCRTA analysis in 2021 found these collection-related costs totaled about three-quarters of all the revenue collected from passengers.”
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: SRTA sees gains in bus ridership, on-time service since going free