The Q4 bus was selected in Queens to be fare-free.
File photo courtesy of Sandra Ung’s office
The Q4 bus which runs from Jamaica toward Cambria Heights will be fare-free starting this Sunday, Sept. 24 — and will last for at least six months and possibly up to a year.
The first-of-its-kind initiative is part of the MTA’s pilot program to determine how free service affects ridership, access, equality and fare evasion. Supporters of the initiative hope that it will lead to increased ridership and ease the financial burden for some New Yorkers. The selected routes, one in each borough, already serve 43,900 weekday riders.
The Q4 route begins on Archer Avenue and Parsons Boulevard in Jamaica, heads toward Cambria Heights and ends on 235th Street and Linden Boulevard. It provides a connection to Jamaica Center, South Jamaica, St. Albans and Cambria Heights, which has major employers and institutions along the way.
Without having to collect fares, free buses are expected to speed up service by eliminating the time riders wait for others to board and will allow entry from the back door as well. Many say that increasing reliance on public transportation is also necessary to take action against climate change.
”The MTA is the lifeblood of New York City, and I’m proud of the tremendous progress we’ve made in returning ridership to pre-pandemic levels,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said when the initiative was announced in July. “By establishing these fare free bus pilot routes, we are expanding access to public transportation across the city and improving transit equity to better serve all New Yorkers.”
When Boston adopted a fare-free bus program last year, dwell times spent at stops were reduced by 20%. But two-thirds of riders ultimately did not save money on transit because they purchased monthly passes or used connections.
Free service is also expected to improve safety. J.P Patafio, the Vice President of a bus sector of TWU Local 100,…
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