WHEREAS, The Zero Fare program, established in August 2023, provides free universal public transportation passes for 60,000 low-income Philadelphians, making it one of the most expansive, effective, and longest-running free transit programs in the country; and
WHEREAS, In October 2026, researchers at Georgetown University’s Better Government Lab in collaboration with the City of Philadelphia’s Managing Director’s Office published initial findings on the Zero Fare Program’s impacts on SEPTA ridership; and
WHEREAS, Evaluating the Zero Fare program from 2023 to 2025, the researchers found that Philadelphians who received a Zero Fare card were more likely to take at least one trip on a monthly, weekly, and daily basis; and
WHEREAS, The biggest increases in ridership came from residents who had been riding the least before Zero Fare - indicating that Zero Fare brought the SEPTA system within reach of Philadelphians who could not fully utilize it; and
WHEREAS, Zero Fare participants’ ridership increased across every racial and ethnic group, every age cohort, and regardless of employment history; and
WHEREAS, Zero Fare participants were more likely to use public transportation for all types of essential and life-enriching trips, including doctors’ visits, work, school, visiting family and friends, and for leisure and recreation; and
WHEREAS, Beyond improving mobility, the Zero Fare program increased recipients’ trust in city government. This finding is unique and notable because even programs that provide direct cash to individuals typically do not improve residents’ trust in city government; and
WHEREAS, Initial findings reveal that Zero Fare recipients report attending school and job training programs, marking a critical first step toward expanded career opportunities and upward mobility; and
WHEREAS, Future reports from the Better Government Lab will continue to evaluate long-term structural outcomes that take more time to develop, including impacts on public health, employment, earnings, and household finances; and
WHEREAS, The Zero Fare is essential to promoting economic opportunity, well-being, and interconnectivity of the City’s residents and should be made a permanent fixture in the City budget; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, THAT THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Celebrates the national model Zero Fare Program and recognizes the initial findings of the Georgetown University Better Government Lab Report on the program’s success.
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