BOSTON — Passengers on three busy Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus routes in Boston will not have to pay fares for two years starting March 1, Mayor Michelle Wu and T General Manager Steve Poftak said Wednesday.
The fare-free program on routes 23, 28, and 29 is an extension of a pilot program on the Route 28 bus launched in August that helped ridership soar.
The program, announced in December, is being paid for with $8 million from the city’s federal coronavirus relief allocation. Wu had made free public transportation a centerpiece of her campaign for mayor.
Fare-free buses enable all-door boarding, which eases congestion and speeds service, the city said.
“Expanding fare-free transit to Routes 23, 28, 29 will better connect our communities, increase ridership, and ease congestion for all our residents,” Wu said in a statement.
The three routes have among the highest riderships in the city, with Route 23 alone serving more than 100,000 passengers per month.
“The benefits experienced by customers on the 28 are being expanded to a broader group of riders, and we appreciate the city of Boston’s willingness to make this happen by providing funding,” Poftak said.
Riders will still have to pay for transfers to other routes and services.