WeGo and mayor’s office representatives are outlining the free bus fare program for low-income riders funded by the 2024 transit referendum and set for implementation in the coming months.
At a public meeting on Tuesday, Kendra Abkowitz, acting program director for the Choose How You Move initiative, said eligibility for the program will mostly be determined via partner agencies and organizations. That means that qualifying clients of the Metro Development and Housing Agency, Metro Social Services, Metro Action Commission and Office of Homeless Services, among other organizations, will receive the free bus passes. Outsourcing verification has the dual purpose of reducing administrative work for WeGo and reducing burdens to potential users who are already providing income information to other agencies, she said.
The program has been dubbed Journey Pass, and the goal is to roll it out in a phased approach. Eventually, the income threshold could increase and more partner groups, including nongovernmental organizations, will be brought onboard. Planners are starting conservatively, they said Tuesday, in order to make sure there is enough funding to meet demand. The Journey Pass program is part of winter service changes set to officially roll out on Jan. 4, though WeGo officials said the “soft launch” of Journey Pass will occur in “late fall.”…