Controversy in Transportation
The Persisting Debate Over Free Public Transportation
Persisting issues exist around the topic of how public transportation will be funded if fare-free, and if making public transit free would have any significant impact on the environment. Evidently, when discussing making something free for the public leads to individuals questioning how and who will pay for it. The idea of slightly-ever increasing taxes for this public good is enough to turn down a whole capitalist-driven audience in America from this idea.
What About Low Fare?
A prevalent opposing argument to free public transportation is to offer a discounted fare to lower-income riders in order to continue unfailing service (Gellerman). Although this argument eases the aversion towards free public transit, the city of Boston already subsidizes fares for public transit.
The Environment
Therefore, making fare less expensive would not lower the time spent by passengers idling to pay the fare. Therefore, in terms of environmental impact, the discounted fare would not decrease any of the automobile exhaust emitted in the air, and also may not increase ridership in order to eliminate the excess amount of cars on the road that contribute to traffic.
The Solution
By eliminating the already subsidized fare, it would save low-income riders money to then reinvest in the surrounding economical developments, and in addition, it would reduce the time the bus spent at bus stops and in traffic (due to increased ridership) which would lower the automobile exhaust emitted in the air that disproportionately affects people of color. In order to achieve environmental justice for communities of color in Boston, fares cannot be reduced but only eliminated.