According to Art Guzzetti, the VP of the American Public Transportation Association, the goal for transit is “building equitable cities…Zero fares is a strategy to address that.” It is time to re-examine the fare base systems and social equity in transit. Recently, the TriMet Board of Directors voted to implement a 30 cent fare increase in 2024. Trimet representatives claim that without raising fares, the agency will face a budget deficit. According to TriMet’s most recent budget, revenue from passenger fares only accounts for 7-8% of its total funding. 

As OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, an environmental nonprofit, has pointed out, TriMet claimed concerns about a budget deficit but the reality is TriMet has a deficit of leadership. The fare increase does not soundly address a budget deficit, rather it creates greater divisions as to who is privileged to ride transit. A fare increase will not significantly address any budget issues. 

For some of your neighbors, public transportation is the only means of getting to and from work, school, the grocery store, and other places. Anyone who has a tight budget will be impacted the most by a fare hike. In addition, “Increasing fares does not align with Portland’s climate goals of reducing emissions and getting more people to ride mass transit,” said OPAL member Lane Schafer. “We want people out of cars and onto buses, MAX, and the streetcar. Why would we increase fares and give them one more reason to stay in cars?

Sisters of the Road advocates for a free transit system. 

Free transit opens up more economic opportunities and allows low-income households to spend more of their income on other necessities, like food, housing, and healthcare. Free transit encourages ridership by eliminating the extra step of purchasing/reloading a HopCard,  or hunting for money to pay the fare. Free transit would also benefit TriMet by cutting down on operational costs such as repair and maintenance tech needed to collect fare, fare checkers, and would allow for faster boarding.  

During the May 2023 Trimet Board Meeting that ultimately led to the fare increase, board member Keith Edwards stated that “Trimet is not going to solve all the ills of our society. That’s not what we’re about. We’re about transportation.” We reject the notion that transportation and the “ills of society” are unrelated. A fareless Trimet system would directly benefit low income and unhoused Portlanders. At Sisters, we’re all about reaching the roots. A fareless transit system is a great place to start.