Fare-free public transit at universities: An evaluation

Universities and public transit agencies in the United States have together invented an arrangement - called Unlimited Access - that provides fare-free transit service for all students (and, on some campuses, faculty and staff as well). Unlimited Access is not free transit but is instead a new way to pay for it. The university pays the transit agency for all rides taken by eligible members of the campus community. This article evaluates the results of the Unlimited Access program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Bus ridership for commuting to campus increased by 56 percent during BruinGO's first year, and solo driving fell by 20 percent. Because these startling results were achieved in a city famous for its addiction to cars, they suggest that Unlimited Access can succeed almost anywhere.