Freedom to Move Act
The Freedom to Move Act would create a new federal grant program, run by the Department of Transportation, to help local and state governments, transit agencies, and certain nonprofit groups implement fare-free public transit. The grants would subsidize the loss of fare revenue from offering free rides and fund improvements to bus networks and services, with an emphasis on expanding access in underserved communities and improving safety, reliability, and livability. Grants would be awarded competitively for a five-year period, and the program would require detailed planning and evaluation focused on equity and community engagement. Key features include a broad set of eligible recipients (states, counties/localities, transit agencies, private nonprofits active in rural public transportation, or partnerships among these), a strong emphasis on equity and stakeholder involvement, and requirements to reform fare-evasion policies. The act would authorize $5 billion per year for 2026–2030 and would require reporting on demographics and progress toward closing equity gaps. It also lists a wide range of allowable uses, from maintaining fare-free service to infrastructure and operational improvements (bus stops, signage, bus lanes, signal priority, network redesign, safety training, etc.).
Key Points
- 1Establishes the Freedom to Move Grants program to fund fare-free transit and related improvements, including compensation for lost fare revenue, with grants awarded on a competitive basis.
- 2Eligible entities include states, counties/local municipalities, transit agencies, private nonprofits in rural areas, or partnerships among these entities; grants last five years.
- 3Grants must emphasize equity and community engagement, including a detailed plan for a bus network redesign prioritizing low-income and historically underserved communities, plus mandatory outreach to diverse stakeholders and an equity evaluation with specific metrics (ridership by demographic groups, commute times, route lengths, delays).
- 4Grants require a plan to reform fare evasion policies and end criminalization of fare evasion, with data on enforcement and steps to eliminate punitive policies.
- 5Authorization of funding: $5,000,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, with funds usable for fare-free operations and a broad set of transit improvements (safety, accessibility, signage, infrastructure, and operations).