WRTA To Vote On Extending Free Fare Policy

WORCESTER, MA — The region's bus commuters will find out Thursday if the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) will begin collecting fares again.

The WRTA Advisory Board is set to meet Thursday morning to discuss whether to continue with a pandemic-era fare policy. The agency effectively made all buses free last spring as part of a safety measure during the first coronavirus surge.

The suspension of collecting fares coincided with a burgeoning movement to eliminate fare collection in the WRTA system — for good.

At the beginning of 2020, the Zero Fare WRTA coalition was preparing to make a push for free transit. The pandemic halted the campaign, but the group renewed the effort this fall by hosting a forum featuring elected officials who support the zero-fare push.

Zero Fare WRTA has said it will be at Thursday's advisory board meeting to urge the members to continue with the fare suspension.

The zero-fare movement dates back to 2019, when the Worcester Regional Research Bureau (WRRB) released a study showing the economic benefits of WRTA dropping its standard $1.75 fare.

Worcester At-Large Councilor Gary Rosen, who is a member of the WRTA board, has invited WRRB researcher Tom Quinn, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce Director of Government Affairs Alex Guardiola and Worcester Health and Human Services Commissioner Dr. Mattie Castiel to speak at Thursday's meeting about the benefits of free transit.