Michigan City riders can now get on the bus for free. The city this week launched a zero-fare system that eliminates all costs across its public transit network.
Kelley Smith with the mayor’s office said the change not only helps residents but also saves the city money. “We determined that we were actually spending more money managing the cash fares we were bringing in,” Smith said.
City officials say the shift won’t affect local taxes. Michigan City Transit is funded through federal and state dollars, and all current routes, including the Transit Triangle and the ADA dial-a-ride service, will continue to operate as usual.
Nonprofits that previously bought bus passes for clients will no longer need to do so, which the city hopes will free up funding for other services.
“What we hope to see is that this gets more of our residents to the doctor, to the grocery store, kids participating in sports,” Smith said. “Yeah, I'm really excited to see the impact this will have.”
The city plans to monitor ridership in the coming months to gauge how the zero-fare policy affects travel patterns and access across the community.
