Zero Fare pilot delivered 4.3 million free rides in its first year

Zero Fare’s success highlights the importance of free public transit for underserved communities.

For many Philadelphia pedestrians, paying for public transportation can be a significant financial strain, limiting access to essential resources like employment, healthcare, and healthy food.

The Zero Fare pilot program was created to address this challenge by improving economic mobility and quality of life for low-income individuals aged 18 to 64. Launched on Aug. 21, 2023, the two-year program provides free, unlimited travel across all SEPTA services to more than 24,000 Philadelphians living in poverty.

In its first year, the program facilitated 4.3 million trips and demonstrated its potential to break down transportation barriers. As of Oct. 1, enrollment for the program’s second year is underway, building on the success of its inaugural year.

Nicola Mammes, director of Zero Fare, highlighted the program’s importance in helping residents achieve economic success.

“The city is investing in its residents, acknowledging that transportation acts as a barrier to accessing opportunity,” Mammes said. “We wanted to facilitate access and truly understand the impact of providing this benefit for Philadelphia residents, especially given the robust transit system we have in the city.”

How Zero Fare Works

 The Zero Fare program uses allocated funding to pay SEPTA for participants’ trips, ensuring free access for eligible individuals. A cornerstone of the program is its automatic enrollment process. Ninety percent of participants were selected based on city administrative data, such as enrollment in public income-based programs, while the remaining 10% were chosen through community-based organizations serving Philadelphia’s immigrant and refugee populations.

According to Nicola Mammes, director of Zero Fare, the automatic enrollment process was designed to minimize barriers and make participation as seamless as possible.

“We tried to reduce as many barriers to accessing the benefit as possible,” Mammes said. “A big part of that was pre-determining eligibility based on information that we already have.”

Participants only needed to confirm their mailing and contact information to receive their Zero Fare Key cards. These cards function like SEPTA Key cards but do not require registration. The fare is fully subsidized by the city, so users pay nothing. Additionally, the design of the Zero Fare Key cards intentionally mirrors the standard SEPTA Key card to avoid stigmatizing users.

Zero Fare’s First Year: Key Achievements and Milestones

The program had a high participation rate of 64%, representing over 15,000 active Zero Fare users. All first-year participants retain access in the second year of the pilot, which anticipates an additional 20,000 participants with a goal of 35,000 active participant by the end of the pilot.

Mammes highlighted several quality-of-life improvements reported by participants, including cost savings, easier commutes, and the freedom to travel without financial concerns.

“I would also say that there’s a really great social element of this program,” Mammes said. “Folks can go see their family wherever they are in the region and just stay connected with other people and take advantage of all the great things available here in Philadelphia that we have to offer from an arts and cultural perspective.”

What’s Next for Zero Fare

Beyond the pilot, Mammes hopes Zero Fare will become a permanent resource for low-income and immigrant communities in Philadelphia. The decision to make the program permanent will depend on a comprehensive evaluation and the availability of funding to sustain and expand its reach.

Mammes anticipates the program will show benefits such as increased economic mobility, improved access to education, and enhanced job and healthcare opportunities.

“This program was rooted in equity,” Mammes said. “We were intentional about ensuring that communities marginalized for a long time have this opportunity. From an environmental standpoint, there’s also significant benefit in investing in transit this way.”

Update: Although SEPTA budget cuts will not immediately impact Zero Fare (they’re planning to distribute an additional 20,000 cards in early 2025), if the proposed fare increases and subsequent proposed service cuts would impact how many people the program may be able to serve with the allocated funding.

Cover photo by Chris Henry on Unsplash