CALVERT COUNTY, Md. – During the Calvert County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting on January 9, 2024, Sandra v. Wobbleton, the Transportation Division Chief for Calvert County, presented a Fare Free Pilot Program for Calvert County Public Transportation intending to restore ridership levels to pre-pandemic levels and to also promote citizens to ride more.
“In March 2020, with the start of the pandemic, the Department of Community Resources Public Transportation Division, along with public transit systems worldwide, experienced significant declines in ridership that continue through today. This decline in ridership creates a substantial decrease in farebox revenues (fares passengers pay to board the bus), making this a very insignificant contribution toward transit expenses,” Wobbleton stated in a memo to the BOCC. “Most Calvert County Public Transportation patrons have income that is significantly below the median income level and use the service to get to work and for nutritional needs. There is a national trend for transit agencies to eliminate fares. Most recently Charles County VanGo and the Town of Alexandria have transitioned to a fare-free model.”
The Fare Free Pilot Program was proposed as a six-month program starting in FY 2025. It was anticipated that there would be a $13,500 loss in farebox revenue during the program. If continued, the yearly loss would be $27,000.
“However, the cost to maintain the current fareboxes has risen to $46,500 (one fare box costs $15,000) so some savings would be realized in our capital project budget, which requires a county match. Newly proposed funding formulas indicate an increase in ridership will result in increased grant awards, however, the exact amounts are not known at this time,” as stated in the memo. It was also revealed that the company that made the fareboxes are no longer in business.
During the presentation, Commissioner President Buddy Hance had this to say.
“So, I think I can save you some time. I think based on the information we have here, I don’t know why we’re doing a pilot, we just need to get rid of the fares. Cause at the end of the day, it looks like to me you’re just losing money collecting them.”
Commissioner Todd Ireland then made the motion to have Calvert County Public Transportation go fare-free starting July 1, which was passed unanimously.
Calvert County Public Transportation is expected to make more announcements and release more details regarding the transition to fare-free in the coming months.
You can watch the full presentation from Public Transportation by clicking here.
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Seems like the right call for everyone!
This is a great idea and I believe this is what is right for Calvert county
Good job, this will help so many that use the bus and attract more to use it
Now all Calvert county got to do it get rid of some of the drivers.