Where is public transport free?
The world's richest country made public transport free: Here's what happened next. Three years on from Luxembourg's introduction of free public transport, residents see it as a 'good form of freedom'. Luxembourg became the first country in the world to scrap fares on all public transport in 2020.
Berlin: Germany's capital landed in the top spot, with 97% of respondents praising their transit system. The world's best cities for public transit: Global publisher Time Out asked people in 50 cities to rate their city's public transit systems. Amsterdam (pictured here) ranked in 10th place.
For a good to be a public good, it must be nonexcludable and nonrival. So, for example, public transportation is not a public good. It is excludable, because the transit company won't give you a ride if you don't pay the fare.
The Metro for D.C. Amendment Act of 2022 makes Washington the largest city in the country to go fare-free as the movement picks up steam nationwide.
Subways and buses
Fare for most riders on subways and local, limited, and Select Bus Service buses: $2.75. Express buses cost $6.75. Tap to pay your fare with your contactless credit/debit card, smartphone, or OMNY card, or pay with a MetroCard.
Kansas City was first
Kansas City, Missouri, became the first U.S. city to embrace zero-fare public transit, making streetcars free for military veterans. Then, beginning in 2019, everyone was allowed to ride buses and streetcars for free.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco has one of the best-known public transportation networks in the country, as the city's famous Bay Area Rapid Transit (affectionately known as “BART”) is exhaustive and extensive.
Women aged 20-29 and over 60 were more likely to use public transport than men, while men aged 35-44 were more likely to use public transport than women of the same age.
Subway is the way
Rapid transit is by far the most popular form of transit. With more than 180 metro systems in operation worldwide, it provides passenger railway transportation in urban areas with a high capacity and frequency of service and adds quality to living in the big cities.
More users will get attracted to the public transportation system as their mode choice which will reduce number of small and private vehicles on street resulting lesser congestion and lesser emission (good for the environment). Time taken to purchase the travel ticket will be saved.
Is public transport good for you?
Walking to and from public transport is a great way to incorporate some extra physical activity into your routine. Catching public transport may also improve your mental health. It's less stressful than driving, and you can read, listen to music or unwind on your daily commute.
MTA—Subways and Buses
The City's rail and bus system is run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and known as MTA New York City Transit. It's inexpensive, environmentally friendly and a great way to see sights throughout the five boroughs—and it operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Use Metro's Trip Planner to calculate fares and to determine the best way to travel (rail, bus, or both). Each passenger must pay a fare; however, two children under age five may travel free with a paying passenger.
There is no set fare for all trips. Fares between stations depend on distance as well as the time of day. There are two prices for rides, peak and off-peak. Peak hours for DC Metro are from opening until 9:30 am and between 3 pm and 7 pm on weekdays.
Sound Transit requires fares on all buses and trains, except for youth 18 and under and Tacoma Link light rail. Use your ORCA card or the Transit GO Ticket app for touch-free payment. Scroll down for a list of Fares by service.
Riding the subway is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to get around the city. For most riders, the subway fare is $2.75. Reduced fares are available for people 65 and older, people with disabilities, and low-income New Yorkers.
Get more information on bus routes and schedules. The base cost of riding a Select Bus Service bus is $2.75, the same as riding the subway or the local or limited-stop bus.
About bus fares
OMNY is accepted on all New York City buses. Fares can also be paid with a MetroCard, coins, or SingleRide ticket.
On buses, you pay as you enter the bus. At train stations, you pay as you pass through the turnstiles before reaching the boarding area.
If you're travelling on your own and plan on making a lot of stops, buses are by far the cheapest way to get around.
Is transportation in LA free?
All transit rates start at a base fare of $1.75. In addition to a single-ride fare, options include the Metro Day Pass ($7) and the 7-Day Pass ($25). On the Metro Rail and the Metro Orange Line, single-ride fares, passes and stored value must be loaded on a Metro TAP card.
- Airplane Safety. Airplanes are by far the safest mode of transportation when the number of transported passengers are measured against personal injuries and fatality totals, even though all plane crashes generally receive some form of media attention. ...
- Train Safety. ...
- Bus Travel. ...
- Boat Travel.
Airplanes are safer than cars for a variety of reasons. For one, there is a much greater concentration of cars on most highways and roads, which means that there is a much greater chance of accidents and collisions happening due to the number of cars driving close to each other.
Of course, we can't talk about public transportation in America without mentioning New York City's Metro, the nation's largest system. On an average weekday, the subway supports 5.5 million riders with almost 1.7 billion riders each year. There are 472 subway stations with Times Square being the busiest.
People aged 55 years and over were the most likely to report that they did not use public transport for their journey to work or study because they needed their own vehicle before, during or after work or study hours (14%).
- New York. #1 in Public Transit Usage. #20 in Best States Overall. ...
- Vermont. #2 in Public Transit Usage. ...
- Hawaii. #3 in Public Transit Usage. ...
- New Jersey. #4 in Public Transit Usage. ...
- Illinois. #5 in Public Transit Usage. ...
- Washington. #6 in Public Transit Usage. ...
- Massachusetts. #7 in Public Transit Usage. ...
- Delaware. #8 in Public Transit Usage.
The Shanghai Metro is the world's longest metro network at 803 kilometres (499 mi) and has the highest annual ridership at 2.83 billion trips. The New York City Subway has the greatest number of stations with 472. As of 2023, the country with the most metro systems is China, with 47 in operation.
Because trains are usually the fastest mode of land travel, they're also usually the most expensive.
It probably comes as no surprise that in a global 2019 survey of railroad efficiency, the top two places went to Japan and Hong Kong, with scores of 6.8 and 6.5 (out of seven) respectively.
Seoul comes out on top, followed by Madrid and Shanghai. Closer to home the London Underground comes 5th and Paris takes the last spot. Accessibility was assessed with a points-based system. Each subway was given points for the number of stations with step-free access, lifts and escalators.
Are buses free in Kansas City?
Part of the reason why Kansas City was able to implement a zero-fare program is because it didn't make much money from fares. That's not the case in many other big cities.
How to Ride Metro Bus. Fares can be paid using cash (exact change) or a TAP card. Regular fare is $1.75 and is good for 2 hrs of unlimited transfers in one direction.
With the Rome City Pass with public transport, using the public transportation system is for free. With the Rome City Pass with public transport you can use metro lines, as well as buses, trams, and trains within the inner city limits of Rome for free.
RideKC buses are Zero Fare through 2023. Fares are being charged on Freedom On-Demand, and effective Nov. 9, 2020, on 199 Micro Transit in KCK and 499 Micro Transit in Johnson County.
Park City Transit is FARE-FREE, meaning no payment is required to board.
Fares have been suspended on all public transit buses in Connecticut since April 1, 2022, as a result of a state law Gov. Lamont signed last year. Federal restrictions prevent the state from extending this suspension for any longer than 12 months, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Fares: A two-hour bus pass costs $6, a 24-hour pass costs $8, and a three-day pass costs $20. Buses require exact fare. Children 5 years old and younger ride free and must be accompanied by an adult. How to Pay: Riders can purchase a ticket aboard buses with exact change.
Going Fareless
Part of why Metro was able to go fareless in the first place was thanks to, well, taxpayers. Los Angeles County voters passed Measure M in 2016. The local sales tax will generate $120 billion for Metro over the next four decades, a situation unique from other U.S. transit authorities.
(Metro base fare for buses and trains remains at $1.75 and includes two hours of free one-way transfers on Metro with each paid ride. Once you reach your 1-Day or 7-Day cap, your rides are FREE!
Sound Transit requires fares on all buses and trains, except for youth 18 and under and Tacoma Link light rail. Use your ORCA card or the Transit GO Ticket app for touch-free payment.
Is the bus free in Houston?
Does anyone qualify to ride for free? Yes. You're eligible to ride free on Local bus, Park & Ride bus, METRORail, METRORapid and METRO curb2curb if you fit any of these categories: Senior 70+ with a discounted METRO Q® Fare Card.
CTA's train system is known as the 'L' (a now-official name originally short for "elevated"). Trains serve over 140 stations located throughout the city and nearby suburbs, on elevated railways, in subways, or on the ground.
As of 2023, you can travel between most cities in Spain for nothing with a regular commuter season ticket.
Having already halved the cost of public transport nationwide, slashed VAT and cut tax on fuel, the Spanish government has now made a huge number of short- and medium-distance train journeys totally free – for regular passengers, anyway.
Rome bus, tram & Metro fares & tickets 2023
All local public transport is integrated in Rome. You have to purchase your tickets before you board any public transport in Rome. Most people will have a pass of one kind or another. From January 2023 contactless payments will be accepted across the ATAC network.