It’s been one year since the City of Philadelphia launched Zero Fare, a pilot program to demonstrate the impact of access to free public transportation on Philadelphia residents with lower incomes and the results are strong.  

Since launching in August 2023, starting with outreach to program participants, Zero Fare has distributed transit passes – Zero Fare Key cards – to over 24,000 Philadelphia residents. Approximately 64% of those participants are riding SEPTA today! 

The Zero Fare program is already having “a huge impact” on the lives of Philadelphians and “has been a life-changing program” for many residents. “Participants have shared that the benefit has been a significant cost savings and has improved access to job opportunities, medical appointments, and childcare options,” said Nicola Mammes, Director of Zero Fare. “Over the last year, we’ve seen improved quality of life for many residents using the benefit and will be evaluating outcomes with funding from the William Penn Foundation.” 

Zero Fare Key cards cover unlimited trips on the entire SEPTA system – bus, trolley, subway, Regional Rail, and Access (formerly known as CCT) ADA Paratransit service for cross-eligible riders through an opt-in mechanism.  

The program has recorded over 4.3 million trips on SEPTA in the first year, with activity throughout the entire City and on all transit modes. Zero Fare transit activity continues to increase as the program reaches full distribution and more enrolled participants use the benefit. Nearly 90% of Zero Fare transit trips are on the bus (63%) and subway (25%), with 9% of trips on SEPTA trolleys and 3% on SEPTA Regional Rail lines. Data on SEPTA Access ADA Paratransit service travel activity is not available.

Zero Fare participant travel activity is concentrated during and around “peak” SEPTA travel windows on weekday mornings and afternoons (Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. – 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.). Still, there is substantial trip activity midday during the week and on the weekends.  

An analysis of enrolled participant data shows that more than half (52%) of selected program participants are women, and more than half (54%) of everyone enrolled identifies as Black, African American, or of African descent.  

Most enrolled participants are between the ages of 25 and 35 (28%), with nearly a quarter (24%) of participants between the ages of 35 and 45.  

Some participants enrolled in Zero Fare are eligible for the SEPTA Senior Fare Program, a transit benefit program managed by SEPTA and funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania available at no cost to residents 65 years and older. The City of Philadelphia, in partnership with SEPTA, will be engaging age-eligible participants over the next few months to provide information on enrolling in the senior transit benefit program. This will allow Zero Fare to reach new participants eligible for the program. 

Zero Fare outreach to all selected program participants is ongoing as the City of Philadelphia continues to implement the pilot through June 30, 2025. Most program participants will be able to use the benefit for at least one year if not longer depending on age-eligibility and time of enrollment in the pilot program. The City of Philadelphia will contact anyone enrolled in Zero Fare and eligible for SEPTA Senior Fare over the next few months.  

For any questions about Zero Fare or if you need support replacing a lost, stolen, or damaged Zero Fare Key card, please call 215-686-4419 or 3-1-1 (8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Monday-Friday) or e-mail zerofare@phila.gov.