Photo: Kansas City Area Transportation Authority
A few years ago, diagnosed with narcolepsy, Christiana Sylvaine stopped driving and turned instead to the bus in Kansas City, Missouri. In 2020, Kansas City’s public bus system became the largest city in the US to adopt a zero-fare policy. During the pandemic, public transportation ridership dropped everywhere, but Kansas City rebounded and as of early 2024, bus ridership was about 24% higher than other similar cities. Researchers at the University of Missouri–Kansas City are finding a clear health benefit: physical activity. They will next try to get an even deeper understanding by looking at data from a major health care system in Kansas City. However, the long-term future of the fare-free system is uncertain.
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