WASHINGTON (TNND) \u2014 Kansas City, Mo., has ended its free bus program that inspired New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to create a free bus service for Big Apple commuters.<\/p>\n
The Midwestern city reinstated bus fares this month after the operating costs of its free bus program increased to about $15 million annually, partly due to unexpected expenses and inflation, Bloomberg reported<\/a>. The program, which lasted six years, was initially expected to cost about $8.8 million, according to the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.<\/p>\n Missouri riders and conductors criticized the free bus service as unreliable, filthy, rolling homeless shelters after federal COVID relief funds dried up, the New York Post reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Free bus supporters argued that free fares would increase ridership, reduce emissions contributing to climate change, and improve service by avoiding fare collection.<\/p>\n Transit officials decided to scrap the program last year.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we ran out of the money and the support, we were forced to make more service cuts or move to fares to support those services,\u201d Kansas City Area Transportation Authority chief mobility and strategy officer Tyler Means told Bloomberg.<\/p>\n \u201cZero-fare means worse service,\u201d Jarrett Walker, a public transportation planning consultant, told the media outlet. \u201cTaking out fares creates a much bigger hole that requires much bigger service cuts unless you find money somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n