Full and original article posted on Commonwealth Magazine
THE WORCESTER Regional Transit Authority (WRTA) has solidified its place as a leader in the fare-free public transportation movement, with the WRTA Advisory Board voting unanimously on April 20 to continue operating fare-free through June 2024, thereby becoming the longest-running fare-free transit system in the state and among the longest-running fare-free transit systems in the country. (CORRECTION: An earlier version of this commentary said Worcester had the longest-running fare-free transit system in the country.)
For the Worcester region, public transportation plays a critical role connecting workers to essential jobs and residents to needed health care and social services. In a time of rising costs of living, residents face difficult tradeoffs with how to spend limited financial resources, and access to fare-free transportation enables residents to travel within the region and support the local economy with less of an impact on their wallets and on the environment.
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