Tucson officials say free public transit will not continue into 2023 if the city cannot find new funding for the program.
Transit users in Tucson have been getting fare-free rides on the city’s street car, buses and vans since 2020, thanks to a program funded by emergency COVID-19 relief money.
But federal dollars have since run out. As the Arizona Daily Star reports, the program will cost roughly $9 million per year to keep running. It’s set to end Dec. 31 unless the city can find a new way to fund it.
The publication reports student leaders at the University of Arizona have pushed the university to provide permanent fare-free transit. But officials have not publicly announced whether they’ll help the program stay.
The City Council is expected to vote on the future of the program in December.
