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Free Public Transit Promotes Health and Economic Equity in Colorado

  • April 19th, 2023
  • By: Colorado Fiscal Institute

Colorado’s over-reliance on cars has made the state’s transportation sector the largest source of carbon emissions and a public health threat.

By investing in accessible and robust public transportation systems, city and state governments can reduce air pollution and carbon emissions while also improving the health and economic security of their residents- especially children, older adults, individuals with low incomes, and people of color. Free fare programs create more equitable public transit systems by reducing the cost burden on riders with lower incomes. Increasing access to transportation promotes health and economic mobility for Colorado families.

In 2022, Colorado launched the Zero Fare for Better Air Program, which made services from Colorado’s Regional Transportation District (RTD) free during the month of August, 2022. The Colorado Fiscal Institute (CFI) examined the impact of this program on air pollution in the Front Range area.

Here are some key findings:

  • The Zero Fare for Better Air program has the potential to reduce air pollution
  • Making public transit free will incentivize more Coloradans to use public transportation and do so more frequently, expanding public transit ridership
  • Travel time, reliability, and cost are identified as the top three barriers to public transportation use by our survey respondents; and a lack of walkable, bikeable roads force people to use cars for very short trips.

 

To read the full report, access it here 

 

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