DENVER — Free bus and train rides are returning to communities across Colorado, with more than two dozen transit agencies in the state participating in the “Zero Fare for Better Air” program initiated by the Regional Transportation District last year.
In Denver, RTD bus and light rail trips will be free for July and August, the months when ozone pollution from cars is at its worst in the metro area.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency notes, ground-level ozone is the main ingredient in smog, and it’s a huge problem along Colorado’s Front Range. In 2021, the Front Range experienced 65 “ozone action day alerts” between May 31 to Aug. 31, the highest number since record-keeping began in 2011.
When the “Zero Fare'' program started last year with RTD and other participating agencies, it only lasted for the month of August. Nevertheless, it was a big success. RTD data showed ridership increased by 22% compared to the prior month, and 36% compared to August of the previous year. Other participating agencies, like those in Greeley or Prowers County, recorded dramatic increases, too.
It should be noted, however, that ridership has still not reached pre-pandemic levels. The COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic drop-off in public transportation use across the country.
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The funding for the free fare program comes largely from HB23-1101, which was signed into law in April of this year.
While RTD is participating in July and August, other agencies are doing more. Greeley, Fountain, Durango and La Junta, to name a few, offered free transit in June and will continue through August.
You can click on the map from the Colorado Association of Transit Agencies below to see which agencies are offering free transit this year.
In recent years, RTD had the highest fare prices in the United States,but taking public transportation is still, on average, cheaper than using a car.
RTD’s website has a calculator on its site where you can tally how much gas money you’ll save by replacing car trips with a bus or train ride.
There are also environmental factors to consider.
“If only 10% of people in the RTD service area drove 50 less miles every week during July and August,” RTD explained, “it would be the equivalent of more than 1.5 million trees pulling carbon dioxide out of the air for one year, or taking nearly 10,000 cars off the road for one year!”
Kyle Cooke is the digital media manager at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach him at kylecooke@rmpbs.org.