The City of Philadelphia’s FY 2027 budget allocated $25 million for the Zero Fare program in Mayor Parker’s budget. The funding will allow the service to continue for 12 months, which means advocates will need to lobby again for the program in the next budget.
“Transit riders should not have to balance paying for food, medical care, and transit fare,” said Stephen Bronskill, manager of the Transit Forward Philadelphia Coalition. “This budget moves us in the right direction.”
The program is designed to offer relief to low-income riders and promote equitable growth across the city. When it was proposed in 2023, City Council approved $62 million for the FY 2024 budget to develop and implement the pilot program. At that time, 39% of Philadelphia residents in poverty cited transportation as their biggest obstacle to finding and sustaining employment. 34,000 eligible residents were auto-enrolled and received their passes directly in the mail.
“Philadelphia is full of these invisible barriers,” says local organizer Jamir Griffin. “Parents trying to reach childcare. Students trying to get across the city after school closures. Workers turning down promotions because commuting would cost too much.” Griffin says that Zero Fare and programs like it improve quality of life and economic stability for riders. “This program recognizes something organizers have known for years. Mobility is opportunity.”
