HomeTop StoriesSRTA buses are seeing big gains in ridership since they became free,...

SRTA buses are seeing big gains in ridership since they became free, and the service is faster

According to the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, SRTA’s first full year of free bus service has been successful, with significant ridership increases and better on-time service – and a majority of respondents agree.

A new report released today by the MBPC, a statewide think tank, looked at data from the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority since SRTA first stopped collecting fares on Jan. 1, 2024.

According to the numbers, the number of people riding SRTA buses grew 56.5% between July and November 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

Ridership also increased significantly compared to other nearby regional bus systems that continued to charge fares. In addition, buses were more likely to stay on schedule because drivers did not have to wait for passengers to pay before being seated.

SRTA serves 10 cities and towns in Greater Fall River and Greater New Bedford, connecting the two cities. It’s using state funding from the Fair Share Amendment, commonly called the “millionaire’s tax,” to keep rides free until at least June 30.

Here’s a closer look at the data and what it means:

Express service: SRTA starts free faster rides between Fall River, New Bedford

When did SRTA stop collecting fares?

SRTA first piloted a “Try Transit” program for the holiday shopping season of November 25 and December 31, 2022.

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“A state review concluded it was a successful experiment,” Phineas Baxandall, policy director at the MBPC, wrote in a report. “A review from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation found an increase in ridership attributed to free fares, but noted that the experiment was too short for clearer results.”

The program returned for six months on January 1, 2024; SRTA later extended it for another fiscal year, until June 30.

A man rides the bus as it passes the mural of a Buddha painted on the side of the Spicy Lime building in downtown New Bedford.

SRTA ridership has increased, even compared to other nearby bus systems

According to the report and SRTA data, there were more than 2.7 million trips on SRTA’s fixed-route bus system in 2024. That is an increase compared to 2.2 million in 2023 and 2 million the year before.

The number of SRTA bus riders has also increased steadily and significantly each quarter, from just over 558,000 in the first quarter of FY 2024 to nearly 874,000 in the first quarter of FY 2025 – an increase of 56.5%.

SRTA also offers an on-demand service for the disabled in all ten cities and towns, which is also free of charge. That service also grew in popularity, from about 23,000 rides in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 to nearly 30,000 in the same period in fiscal 2025.

The MBPC noted that as SRTA ridership grew significantly, ridership on Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority and Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority buses grew by only 3.9% and 4.4%, respectively.

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The group said that while both CCRTA and GATRA also receive funding from the Millionaires’ Tax, these services still charge fees.

Bus rides are more often on time

According to the MBPC report and SRTA data, eliminating fares appears to have helped bus drivers save time.

In the first quarter of fiscal 2024, buses were on time 87% of the time. In the first quarter of 2025, this improved to 90%.

The MBPC report attributes the time savings to not having to collect fares, as bus drivers don’t have to wait as long when picking up passengers before heading to the next stop.

Not having to collect fares can also make a driver’s job safer and better; the report stated that “the ongoing challenges of recruiting and retaining bus drivers… can be alleviated if bus drivers can focus on traveling and greeting passengers rather than on unpleasant and sometimes dangerous interactions over fare payment.”

“Bus drivers do not divide their attention between driving and watching out for people sneaking in through the back doors,” Baxandall wrote.

From left, Eric Carvalho, driver, Marty Burke, John Lebert and Tony Sousa, driver, discuss some of the efforts being made to protect drivers at the New Bedford SRTA bus terminal.

From left, Eric Carvalho, driver, Marty Burke, John Lebert and Tony Sousa, driver, discuss some of the efforts being made to protect drivers at the New Bedford SRTA bus terminal.

Polls show support for keeping buses free

A survey conducted by the MassINC Polling Group in March of 500 people living in SRTA cities and towns found that while 87% of people did not use SRTA bus services, 66% of people favored not charging rates – and 60% of people want to keep using the millionaire tax money to pay for it.

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Sen. Michael Rodrigues, D-Westport, and chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said he was making transportation funding a “top priority” in the 2025 state budget.

“This is especially important to help support and alleviate the cost burden on our transportation workforce on the South Coast,” he stated.

“Many of our residents rely on public transportation to get to work, medical appointments, school, the grocery store and so many other daily necessities,” said Sen. Marc Montigny, D-New Bedford. “Funding this service has a real, immediate impact to positively improve lives.”

Can SRTA’s free rides continue?

The MBPC report notes that the MBTA’s South Coast Rail line will open this spring with stations in Fall River, Freetown and New Bedford, and that a 2023 study commissioned by SRTA shows that routes as they exist now will not be possible. “will not deliver reliable, high quality”. quality connection” with those stations.

“Free SRTA service combined with low-income commuter rail fares would also ensure that the new rail service can better serve low- and middle-income families,” the report says. “Currently, home prices around New Bedford and Fall River are down. Families scrambling to meet rising rents would find their challenges a little easier if travel to the South Coast Rail station and elsewhere did not require fares.

SRTA’s fare-free experiment will last at least until June 30; Whether it will go further has not yet been decided.

But the report notes that the cost of collecting the rates themselves may not be worth the money.

“Costs associated with fare boxes, cash collection and counting, accounting, banking, security and credit card transactions are mounting – as is the additional time charged to drivers due to ‘dwell time’ – waiting for passengers to pay their money . rate,” the report said. “A 2021 CCRTA analysis found that these collection-related costs totaled approximately three-quarters of all revenue collected from passengers.”

This article originally appeared in The Herald News: SRTA sees gains in bus ridership and on-time service since free version

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