Ending Fare-Free Transit
Tucson Sentinel Published the followed opinion on May 20, 2025. Read it here.
Subsidize Public Transit For Those Who Need It
In 2020, the City of Tucson received several large sums of federal dollars to combat a sinking economy in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our mayor and city council made the compassionate and pragmatic decision to use a portion of these funds to implement fare-free transit to help Tucsonans cope with the unprecedented upheaval in our daily lives. Since March of 2020, Sun Link, Sun Tran, and Sun Van services have been completely free for all.
Prior to fare-free transit, the City collected approximately $9 million in fares each year, which amounted to 13% of the $65 million annual operating costs.[1] Federal COVID-19 funds that subsidized free fares expired in 2022. Tucson now pays for fare-free transit out of its general fund, a sponsorship from Tucson Medical Center, and a portion of the hotel bed tax.
The City is in the process of fine-tuning a FY 2026 budget that initially faced an estimated $28 million shortfall. The mayor, city council, and the city manager’s office have the difficult task of deciding where cuts must be made. The current budget proposal will discontinue five bus routes to save approximately $1 million annually. Tucson’s contribution to the popular PEEPS (Pima Early Education Program Scholarships) has been cut from the current budget proposal, along with many other popular programs. Going beyond the FY26 budget, the City Manager’s office is forecasting a $12.8 million deficit in FY27 and a $15.2 million deficit in FY28. Mayor and Council will therefore have to find additional revenue or make additional cuts in the next three fiscal years, and likely beyond.
In the latest community engagement budget survey designed to better understand the public’s opinions about the upcoming budget, the concept of re-implementing transit fares was the top-ranked option for raising revenue. Given the current state of Tucson’s budget forecasts, fare-free transit without a dedicated funding source is no longer sustainable. We need the additional revenue.
Every time I take the #8 bus to get downtown from my office and every time my family takes the modern streetcar to go out for breakfast over the weekend, we benefit from this fare-free system, regardless of our ability to pay. A blanket fare-free system means the city subsidizes every ride, regardless of need. If fares return, my family and I will still use public transit. We will pay for the service because it is convenient to use and because we are able to afford it. Many public transit users will do the same and the system will recover a portion of its costs again.
However, many transit users will be financially burdened by the return of fares. Therefore, the City of Tucson must implement a robust needs-based program for subsidized or free fares so that those who rely on the current fare-free system can still get the transit services they need. If the goal of public transit is accessibility and inclusion, then a tiered-fare system and expanded subsidies for low-income riders can achieve that goal. Returning to fares and needs-based subsidies will also help restore accountability and user responsibility, while reinforcing the idea that transit is a public good. Let those of us with the means to pay for the service pay, so that others don’t have to. It will also reduce the need to eliminate routes in the future, allowing the system to continue serving as many residents as is feasible.
Before free fares, Tucson offered subsidies for Medicare recipients and low-income residents. The City can also look to other transit systems for ideas on how to implement a program that is equitable and easy to use. For example, Seattle offers free fares for riders 18 or under. Other cities offer subsidized fares based on Medicaid enrollment. Applying for fare subsidies should be as straight-forward as possible with no need to visit any offices in-person. Tucson should partner with local shelters and affordable housing projects to target city residents with the highest need for subsidized fares.
We can return to an accessible transit system while re-instating fares. If, in the future, the City secures a dedicated funding source, the question of free fares can and should be revisited. In 2025 though, we must face the reality of a shrinking budget and take important steps to ensure that our public transit remain viable, equitable, and accessible, even with the end of free fares.
[1] https://azluminaria.org/2025/04/08/five-years-fare-free-tucson-votes-to-explore-more-options/
