FREE RIDE

The value has been proved of an 18-month experiment providing free bus rides within the large downtown area which covers a 105-block section and includes the city's governmental, financial and retail districts. The system is operated by the municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, a federation of local governments known as Metro responsible for regional environmental problems and mass transit. The City of Seattle paid $64,000 (the first year) and tax funds to make the free rides possible. Within a few weeks of the project's inaugration the bus riders more than doubled, business increased notably, traffic congestion was eased, and gasoline consumption was reduced. A survey (a year after the service began) revealed that more than half of all downtown employees were using the buses more often. A third of all boardings were for trips within the free-ride zone, and amounted to 12,000 daily trips. More than 1000 workers reported they were now taking a bus rather than their cars to get to the job. Some 2,500 daily auto trips are believed to have been eliminated by the Metro system.

• Corporate Authors:

  Exxon Corporation

  1251 Avenue of the Americas
  New York, NY  United States  10020
• Publication Date: 1975-3

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 28-29
• Serial:
  • Lamp
  • Volume: 57
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transportation; Central business districts; Energy; Free fares; Fuel consumption; Traffic congestion; Urban transportation
• Old TRIS Terms: Free transportation
• Subject Areas: Energy; Finance; Highways; Motor Carriers; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00083717
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 8 1981 12:00AM