A Boston Globe editorial published Wednesday urged Boston city officials to consider piloting a free bus program that would service low-income areas of the city, pointing to a program launched September in Lawrence as a model.
“I think it’s a really good idea to try certain lines,” Boston Globe business columnist Shirley Leung said on Boston Public Radio Thursday.
Much of the argument for free bus routes is tied to economic justice. In Lawrence, 90 percent of riders on subsidized routes earn less than $20,000 annually. Boston City Council member Michelle Wu, a staunch advocate for free buses, has proposed the 28, which travels through poorer sections of Mattapan and Roxbury, as a potential pilot route.
Beyond the economic justice element, Leung posited that free buses would give more people the incentive to ditch their cars in favor of a greener commute.
“It’s really hard to break people’s habits of driving,” Leung said. "And I think if you can offer something free, I think. … more people would try the bus.”
