Free Public Transportation? Once Council Member Says It Can Work in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC – A Charlotte City council member is proposing fareless public transportation. Braxton Winston brought up the idea at the council’s retreat in Raleigh earlier this week.

He says the city needs to rethink it’s approach to transportation.

“A $5 ride can mean the difference between going to the doctor or not,” said Winston.

Winston says he got the idea of a fareless system after attending a state transportation conference.

“It doesn’t matter if somebody has a job and an affordable place to live if they can’t get from home to work,” said Winston.

He’s proposing free transit rides on buses and trains for anyone to anywhere.

“I think we have to be imaginative,” said Winston.

Other cities already moved forward with free public transit. Kansas City approved the measure in December and bus rides in Olympia, Washington are now free as of January 1st.

Critics of fareless transit in other cities have brought up concerns about safety and also wondered where the money would come from. Riders locally have similar concerns.

“Free rides do sound good, but if it’s coming out of tax payer dollars, then no,” said a bus rider named Tray.

Councilman Ed Driggs says he hasn’t spent too much time on the topic, but says he’d rather look into offering deeper discounts for people who really need it, instead of an entirely free system.

Right now, Driggs says fares account for about 1/4 of the CATS operating budget.

As for funding, Winston says there are possibilities for partnership.

“Everything is going to have to be on the table,” said Winston, “whether it be from tax dollars to private investment.”