For the next 6 months, BAT buses will be fare-free in Brockton. Here's why

BROCKTON — Marie Joseph pays $22 a week to take the 12 bus to and from her job at Ashmont. Starting Friday, that price drops to zero.

It's welcome news for both Brockton Area Transit regulars and new customers: free fares from Dec. 1 to May 31. The no-charge rides are thanks to a $1.4M state grant that aims to rebuild ridership that bottomed out during COVID and still hasn't recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

BAT buses and paratransit trips will be free, with the exception of the "Rockland Flex" microtransit service and trips provided by local Councils on Aging.

The "Try Transit" grant will cover the costs of the free rides, said BAT Administrator Michael J. Lambert. No City of Brockton money will be spent, he said.

How much money will free rides save BAT riders?

So, how much will bus riders save? It varies, given the various discounts for students, Medicare recipients and the like. On average, however, the BAT costs about a dollar per trip, Lambert said. In Joseph's case, it's $88 back in her pocket every month. That's $528 across all six months of the program.

Lambert said the program has three main aims. First, to encourage new riders to try the BAT.

"No barrier to entry. You see a bus go by, you hop on," he said in a Wednesday interview at BAT's main office. "You don't have to have the right change, you don't have to worry about any of that."

Secondly, as already mentioned, it's real savings for existing riders like Brockton native Ryan Mallard.

"It could go a long way for a lot of people," Mallard said of the free rides Wednesday as he waited for his bus at BAT Centre.

The third part is a boost for the community at large, as people can more easily move around and, potentially, do more shopping at local stores, especially ones downtown.

Mary Waldron, executive director of the Old Colony Planning Council, said in a statement announcing the free fares that the program would be a "great resource for our commercial centers, including Campello, Montello and Westgate, as well as the rest of Brockton and the entire BAT service area."

Mayor Robert F. Sullivan put the new program in context of other recent transportation initiatives, like expanded Saturday service, the all-new Sunday service and discounted commuter rail fares for Brocktonians.

"Increasing public transit use is a top priority as we seek to reduce carbon emissions, improve accessibility and make it more affordable for residents, businesses, workers and visitors to travel to and from Brockton," the mayor said in a statement.

Brockton not alone in offering free fares

Cities and states have been experimenting with free transit. Certain MBTA routes are fare-free through Feb. 29. One difference between the T's experiment and Brockton's is that the T hopes to improve on-time performance since riders hop right on without the time it takes each customer to pay as they board. BAT routes tend to be major destination-to-major destination instead of dozens of stops along busy commercial streets. Also, the T still doesn't have mobile ticketing, unlike the BAT.

This isn't the first time Brockton riders have gotten free fares. Last year, the "Try Transit" program made BAT bus and paratransit rides free from Nov. 25 to Dec. 31. And during the pandemic, BAT drivers stopped taking fares as a way to decrease their chances of getting COVID.

The BAT has more changes coming this summer, when it plans to launch a partnership with Uber and Lyft to help night-shift workers without cars get to and from work.

Questions about the free buses?

BAT buses will be free from Dec. 1 to May 31. Direct questions to 508-588-2240 or info@ridebat.com.

Send your news tips, transportation-related or otherwise, to reporter Chris Helms by email at CHelms@enterprisenews.com or connect on X at @HelmsNews.