Iowa City, Iowa, started a 2-year pilot program to eliminate bus fares, with a goal of lowering emissions from cars and encouraging people to take public transit. It proved so popular that the City Council voted to extend it another year, paying for it with a 1% increase in utility taxes and doubling most parking rates from $1 to $2. As a result, ridership is up by 18%. Bus drivers say they’re navigating less congested streets, people drove 1.8 million fewer miles on city streets, and emissions dropped by 24,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year. That’s the equivalent of taking 5,200 vehicles off the roads. Prior to the free bus service, bus passes were a whopping $31 a month, which adds up. It remains to be seen whether other cities will follow Iowa City’s example and work toward improvements in transportation.
