Legislator Calls For Fare-Free Bus Transit

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published February 4, 2021 at 10:00 AM EST

An Albany County Legislator wants to study what it would take to make bus rides free in the Capital District.

Democratic Legislator Sam Fein of the sixth district introduced a proclamation calling for the Capital District Transportation Authority to conduct a study on implementing fare-free transit for all bus routes.

"They get about 20 percent of their revenue for their operating budget from fares, so, once we have a study then we can look at how we can make up that revenue."

CDTA was fare-free for several months during the beginning of the pandemic. Fein says multiple U.S. cities already run free buses, and says it encourages travel and helps local businesses. CDTA says it “needs time to look over the proposal.”

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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