COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Starting today, Mountain Metro Transit will be offering free rides through August 2024. They're hoping free rides will get more people on the bus, which in turn would free up more space on our roads.
I talked with Elaine Sheridan at Mountain Metro Transit. She tells me that state Senate Bill 32, a government-funded grant pays for the program. They're calling it "Zero Fare For Better Air.
16 other transit agencies across the state used similar programs last year. This is the third year Mountain Metro is offering free rides. Sheridan says the program can have a huge impact on people's lives.
“One family told us that while her husband was in the hospital, she couldn’t afford to go see him. They didn’t have a car so because of free fare she got to visit her husband in the hospital every day so it’s hard to believe that a bus fare is even a struggle for families, but it is.”
I did some digging and found the complete Metro Transit System Map. In that link is also a trip planner with real-time information. You can view it and find a stop near you. Why not give the bus a try? It won't cost you anything, from now through August.
Email Reporter Jake Walker at jake.walker@koaa.com. Follow @JakeOnAiron Instagram and Jake Walker Media on Facebook.
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