WRTA Pitches 'Service Enhancements' Rather Than Zero-Fare

WORCESTER, MA — The battle over implementing a permanent zero-fare policy in the Worcester Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) continued Thursday, although advocates won a six-month extension of the policy until the end of 2021.

The WRTA Advisory Board met Thursday to discuss ways to spend federal stimulus money in the future. WRTA Director Dennis Lipka is pushing to use the money to boost service along four popular bus routes rather than on zero-fare. This week, the Zero Fare WRTA Coalition held a demonstration in downtown Worcester demanding the transit agency use the stimulus money to keep buses free.

WRTA stopped collecting fares in March 2020 as a safety precaution during the pandemic. Fares have remained free since, but fare collections were set start again on July 1. WRTA board member Doug Belanger, who represents Leicester, suggested a compromise of extending the policy for six months — that won a unanimous vote in favor with Chair Bill Lehtola, of Spencer, abstaining.

Worcester Councilor Gary Rosen, who represents the city on the board, said the extension could provide better ridership data showing whether the free fare policy is helping the system.

"We'll be post-pandemic, let's see what the ridership looks like," Rosen said.

Lipka has been explicit about his opposition to zero-fare. On Thursday, he called the policy "draconian" and that "it's time to move on" from it.

"At end of day, we've put out money I believe capriciously, and I believe not in the interest of the regional transit authority's service in the long term," he said.

Thursday's meeting began with advisory board member Mike Kennedy calling for a vote on implementing zero-fare permanently. That led to a heated discussion where Lehtola suggested some towns might leave the WRTA coalition if zero-fare goes into place.

Lipka has said zero-fare would cost about $3.4 million per year. WRTA received $37 million in the first CARES Act stimulus, and close to $6 million in the American Rescue Plan package. Lipka said zero-fare would be a poor use of temporary stimulus funds, and would hurt the system in the future.

As an alternative, Lipka presented two "service enhancements" for WRTA using stimulus money. Each option would reduce peak headways — the time riders wait between buses — and extend nighttime service on either routes 11, 19, 26 and 27 or routes 11, 19, 26 and 30.

Both enhancement packages would cost about $800,000 per year, with annual 3-1/2 percent increases to follow. WRTA transportation planner Nick Burnham told the board stimulus money could fund the enhancements through 2028.

The board voted to allow WRTA to begin outreach about the proposed service enhancements ahead of a potential June vote to move forward. If approved, the enhancements could begin by Aug. 28.