A transit bus in Tucson, Arizona. | https://www.flickr.com/photos/daquellamanera/, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons
Tucson’s budget for fiscal year 2027 includes funding for its free transit program, reports Payton May for KOLD.
The city, which faces a budget deficit of $17 million, has been subsidizing transit for six years. “Tucson City Manager Tim Thomure estimated that transit fares would bring in $8.5 million in net revenue. However, he said restarting fare collection would cost $1 million up front, and an additional $6 million to be viable after 2028.” A city study also suggested that one-third of riders would stop using the bus if fares returned…