Kansas City will keep its popular zero-fare bus system in place for at least another year after the city council voted to renew its annual $70.9 million contract with the KC Area Transportation Authority (KCATA).
However, the legislation also directs the city manager to study the costs and benefits of shifting to an alternative “functional free fare” model, which could mean anything from reinstating fares for some riders in the future or handing out individual passes that are free, but that can be revoked.
Since early 2020, bus rides on KCATA’s RideKC system within the city have been completely free, making it the first major U.S. city to eliminate fares. The city has subsidized the program using transit tax revenue, but the KCATA faces a budget shortfall once federal pandemic relief funds run out next year.
“We really don’t know what functionally free fare is right now,” Councilmember Kevin O’Neill told The Kansas City Star. “And this will help us understand what that is so that when we are presented with it, we’ll be able to make a decision.”
A KCATA study found reinstating fares at 2019 levels of $1.50 per ride could raise $5.8 to $7.1 million annually but reduce ridership by up to 33%. The agency has cited security issues caused by some riders staying on buses all day, but Councilmember Eric Bunch cautioned against “scapegoating” zero fare. Bunch noted that buses all over the country experience safety issues, even if a fare is charged.
Climate group Sunrise Movement KC, which protested possible fare reinstatement, celebrated the extension by saying, “The people made it clear that we back zero fare, and we forced them to listen!”
Proponents of a functional free fare system argue that it could allow KC to continue providing free rides for some socioeconomically disadvantaged residents meeting certain qualifications while others pay reduced or full fares to increase revenue for improved service. The increased revenue could help the KCATA while they search for other funding sources, but they are projected to have a budget shortfall even if a full fare is reintroduced.
