Almost exactly four years ago, I wrote in this space that the move in Kansas City to reduce bus fare to zero was a bad idea—or at the very least ill-considered and not supported by substantive research. I argued the same in a guest commentary to The Kansas City Star:
Good policies go beyond good intentions. They serve a public need with as few negative consequences as is possible. Our national experience with large-scale, fare-free transit has been a bumpy ride. Kansas City needs to consider all the options and trade-offs before adopting such a significant policy change.
Unfortunately, those concerns were not heeded. At the time, the Kansas City Area Transit Authority (KCATA) CEO Robbie Makinen argued weakly, “Just because nobody else is doing it, that’s not a reason for us not to do it. What’s wrong with trying it? What’s the worst thing that happens? It doesn’t work, and Robbie gets fired.”
Now in 2024, after years of offering free bus service, the KCATA is wrestling with a $10 million gap in its operating budget. The service used COVID relief money to cover its operating losses, but those funds will run out by 2025.
As a result of the budget shortfalls, the new CEO has asked the transit authority’s board for permission to study reinstating fares to cover the shortfall. (The previous CEO cited above did seemingly get fired in July 2022.) One of the current KCATA board members, Michael Shaw, is at least asking the right questions, according to the Star:
“Have we done the homework and figured out what we need to do, what other resources and strategies are in place, before we say this is the policy decision that needs to be made?” Shaw said. “I don’t think we should look at solutions in silos. They have to be looked at collectively and I don’t think we’ve done that homework at this juncture.”
The chairwoman of the board, Melissa Bynum, pointed out what we already know: “Zero fare is not free – period. Somebody pays for it.”
The CEO of the KCATA should be congratulated for seeking such a study. Board members Shaw and Bynum are right to urge diligence and to point out that the money must come from somewhere.
Had the previous KCATA leadership wrestled with these questions a few years ago, the organization may not be in this mess now.
