Next summer will be a breeze for D.C. residents, who will now be able to travel via Metrobus for free on rides that begin in D.C.!
D.C. City Council met Tuesday, Dec. 6, where it passed the Metro for D.C. bill, in a 13-0 vote. This allows all D.C. residents to ride the city Metrobuses for free, among other public transit updates, making Washington, D.C., the first major U.S. city to allow residents to ride the bus for free.
“This is a big deal,” Chairman Phil Mendelson said in a news release, adding, “This will be game changer for bus users; reliable schedules and faster boarding. There’s no question it will encourage more folks to use public transit, which means numerous benefits, from reducing congestion to improving the environment to stabilizing WMATA.”
Despite the close-knit ties of the DMV, the change would not apply to Maryland or Virginia residents, even if they work in D.C.
“When I introduced Metro For DC almost three years ago, it was because I thought we could make public transit both more affordable and also dramatically improve service. Now that we’re recovering from the pandemic, it’s clear this would be a win for riders, a win for DC’s businesses, and a win for WMATA,” said Councilmember Charles Allen. “Making the bus fare free for all of DC is the type of transformational change that we can lead, with a focus on equity and economic recovery. It’ll make a difference keeping buses moving faster on our streets and in the monthly budgets of thousands of DC families.”
The free Metrobus rides are slated to begin July 1, 2023.
For more information on the bill, please visit metrofordc.com.