WORCESTER, Mass. - Having taken the bus for the last 7 years, Asa Saltzberg says it's just the easiest way to get around.

"Living in the city and not having to worry about the stress of driving, traffic, the cost of it all," said Saltzberg. "I mean, insurance is pretty expensive and more expensive in Worcester. And, I think the ease of it now, it's just so much easier. You just jump on."

Saltzberg is one of many celebrating the extension of free fares for WRTA buses, which now runs through June 2025.

What You Need To Know

  • Free fares for WRTA riders have been extended through June 2025

  • The WRTA says they're allocating more than $4.5 million in CARES Act funds to pay for the program

  • The WRTA's advisory board reports fixed route ridership has gone from 2,100,000 riders in 2021 to nearly 4,000,000 in 2023

City Manager Eric Batista agrees with the decision, saying it's the best interest of the community.

"This here helps individuals get to doctors appointments, get to work, get to areas they need to be," Batista said. "It has been extremely successful."

Heading into fiscal year 2025, the WRTA says they're allocating more than $4.5 million in CARES Act funds to pay for the program. State grants, as well as money collected as part of the Fair Share Tax, were used to fund the program in recent years. Also known as the Millionaire's Tax, voters approved the measure in 2022 which charges an additional 4% tax on income over $1 million, which will then be dedicated to education and transportation.

"It is a steady stream that we can rely on, it being like a constitutional amendment and the fact that it's already covered like well over half the cost already," said Saltzberg.

The extension comes at a time when ridership numbers have seen a significant boost. The WRTA's advisory board reports fixed route ridership has gone from 2,100,000 riders in 2021 to nearly 4,000,000 in 2023, exceeding even their pre-pandemic levels.

"You know, myself, I definitely grew up more middle-class and the $1.75 fare was not always to come by," said Saltzberg. "But, I wasn't in a place personally where $1.75 would stop me from going to a doctor's appointment. And that is the reality for a lot of people."

Saltzberg says ultimately, their goal as a coalition is to have free fares on a permanent basis, and it's something they hope to begin working on soon.