@TheOne From the article:

"After two successful test phases, the city’s decision has been made: bus and tram travel will become free for Montpellier’s residents. From December 2023, none will have to pay for public transport.

"In this way, the city aims to reduce air pollution, cut emissions and support disadvantaged groups.

"The measure is part of a 150 million euro package that also includes the construction of new bicycle lanes.

Anyone have thoughts on free public transport? Would it work in your city?

https://scoop.me/montpellier-free-public-transport/

#planning #UrbanPlanning #transport #tram #trams #train #trains #ClimateCrisis #ClimatePolicy #railway #metro #cities

@tom_andraszek @TheOne Playing devil's advocate for a moment, in theory, the logic of requiring a fare is that, as patronage increases, there's more money to improve services.

So more passengers -> more fares -> more services -> more passengers -> more fares.

It's a virtuous cycle.

As opposed to cars, where more passengers -> more traffic -> worse travel times.

That being said, there are good alternatives.

Properties close to public transport services tend to have higher property prices.

A small council rates levy or property tax can capture that value, and be used to pay for the service.

Another option is the Hong Kong Metro model, where the service generates a profit as a result of property development above and around the stations.

In theory, that revenue could be used to fund a public transport service.

@tom_andraszek @ajsadauskas @TheOne I don't think people are entirely rational economic access-seeking actors on a per-trip basis. I'm more interested in the psychological difference between pay-per-trip (transit) and pay-once-a-year (car insurance, rates - plus monthly payments if you have a lease, but you can't just not pay them if you don't drive, it's a long term commitment too).

@tom_andraszek @ajsadauskas @TheOne Free PT is one way to align payment frequency (well, remove the pay-per-trip and replace it with nothing), but another is discounted long term public transport passes, creating pre-commitment to taking public transport. And another, perhaps more politically difficult, is road fares per car trip....

@ckent @tom_andraszek @ajsadauskas mmm yeah I guess the cognitive burden comes in because they are often zone based and you have to do gymnastics to work out what zone to pay for and how to travel outside it - but smart cards could make that easier.

Just trying to think of ways to make it more like hopping in your car (sure, you have to buy petrol as you go but you don’t have anything saying “this specific trip will/did cost $6 in petrol”).

@jroper @tom_andraszek @ajsadauskas yeah IKR?

I think I was foolishly anti-metro 10 years ago because I didn't appreciate the turn-up-and-go element … I thought it was a gimmick

Hell no

My saddest memory of the pre-Opal era was the magnificent ticket machines with the incredibly generous facility called "Top Up", the mysterious little slot at knee-height

it did EVERYTHING for you — calculate the price, work out the change

You could use it any day of the week

But did they? ooohhh no

@jroper @tom_andraszek @ajsadauskas no no no no no

Instead, people would QUEUE UP EVERY TUESDAY after a public holiday and MISS THEIR TRAIN just to buy the next weekly ticket

I'm still mad about this — I remember begging a relative visiting from Europe as a tourist, "PLEASE just put your ticket in the bottom, it could NOT be easier"

Nope, cognitive burden —

Undefeated champion!
*holds arm up in boxing ring*

@jroper @tom_andraszek @ajsadauskas so — while we are talking about the concept of "frequent flyer" style rewards for bus/rail/ferry travel

Let's just spend a tiny moment to tell the truth:

It's NOT necessary to ask the public to predict their reward in advance. You CAN just post-calculate the best possible discount and be NICE … give it to everyone, whether they ask or not

Mobile phone companies were the worst at this! Remember the 2000s? Pick a usage plan, but PREDICT your next month.

@jroper @tom_andraszek @ajsadauskas They always had these MICRO-AGGRESSIVE promotional campaigns where they lovingly invited you to call them to save money

The first question was — just like a monthly train pass — "how much do you spend a month?"

Dude, or Ms Dude, I do not KNOW, I mean, that answer is like Heisenberg Quantum Physics because it changes when you offer me a new plan based on my answer

Why CAN'T the mobile carrier just back-date my phone plan based on past usage? No reason. 🤪

@ckent @tom_andraszek @ajsadauskas Lol at the people lining up on Tuesdays, I do remember. And regular Monday mornings too. People you could buy it on ~any day~. But apps & cards fix that.

And yeah, if I had to pick one general philosophy to payment frequency/timing it would probably be to make driving more pay-per-trip, including the positive side - easy availability of goget etc. But the other way is interesting to think about too.

@jroper @tom_andraszek @ajsadauskas And yet, a quick way to lose friends — or just cause mental anguish —

is to compare notes for all of these to an e-bike lifestyle

(the barriers to which, are the infrastructure that is laughably cheap and YET underfunded? Compare election promises — it's fun and depressing, to calculate one year of road maintenance, equals an ENTIRE connected cycleway network … a really nice one, you know, like the M7 has, with verges and lighting, lots of friendly signs…)