EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
The Price of Transit
European cities, including Paris, France, and several cities
in Germany, are looking to test free transit.
A
8 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | JUNE 2018
Editorial
Advisory Board
Andrew Johnson
Chief Operating Officer
Champaign-Urbana
Mass Transit District
Gary Thomas
President/
Executive Director
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Keith Jones, P.E.
General Manager
DC Streetcar
Kristen Joyner
Executive Director
South West Transit
Association
Matthew Tucker
Executive Director
North County
Transit District
Patrick LeClerc
President & Chief
Executive Officer
Canadian Urban
Transit Association
Paul Larousse
Director
National Transit Institute
s this issue is going to press the 6th annual National Infrastructure
Week was coming to an end. And it was happening just as oil prices
were topping $80 and the Administration’s infrastructure plan appears
to be put on hold as the White House press secretary stated it doesn’t
appear any specifi c piece of legislation will happen by the end of the year.
While I was going to write on infrastructure backlog, increased congestion,
and decreased funding, other news leading the headlines were
about several European cities looking at the potential of off ering free
public transportation. Paris, France, and several cities in Germany, are
looking to test free transit, as well as the country of Estonia.
For European countries, racing to meet the European Union air
pollution targets to avoid large fi nes is one driving factor.
Nine EU members have not met the deadline to meet EU limits on
nitrogen dioxide and fi ne particles and they were given extra time to
meet limits or face legal action.
Another driving factor is that more than 130 European cities are
aff ected by life-threatening air pollution, according to the European Commission,
costing $24.7 billion (€20 billion) in health spending each year.
In 2013, the city of Tallinn in Estonia began off ering free public transportation
to all residents. Now, the government of Estonia is looking to
make transit free to residents throughout the country starting July 1.
Head of Tallinn European Union Offi ce Allan Alaküla has said they
have earned double what they lost since off ering free transportation.
Residents have to be registered as such, and then the municipality
receives $1,180 from your income tax each year to cover costs. Visitors
still pay to use transit.
Since implementation, Tallinn has seen a 10 percent decrease in traffi c
in its city center and a slight increase around the center.
One point worth noting, much of the increase in ridership in the city
center isn’t due to people necessarily getting people out of single-occupancy
vehicles, but rather people hopping on the tram to shorten a walk.
Getting people to leave their car at home will take a more convenient,
quicker and more economical option, making a longer or more challenging
option free, won’t change patterns. However, new ways of generating
revenue that come out of these schemes may provide lessons to learn from.
No details have emerged as to how Germany might fund its free
transportation. Paris would need an additional $7 million (€6 million)
per year and suggestions have been fl oated of increased congestion
pricing, a new tax and an overhaul of subsidies by businesses to their
employees but nothing has yet been determined.
One thing is for certain, when a city the size of Paris takes this step, it
shows that drastic changes need to be put in place to address the global
issues of pollution and congestion.
Leah Harnack, Executive Editor
Public
offi cials eye
transit’s
role in
mitigating
pollution
in urban
areas.
/MassTransitmag.com