Free public transport in Massachusetts

Free public transport have been implemented in Commonwealth of Massachusetts through various trials and programs since the 2010s. Pilot programs were run on several transit agencies in the state, with many of these pilot programs arising following losses of ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, the city of Lawrence eliminated fares on several Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority (MeVa) bus routes serving it. In 2022, MeVa expanded to systemwide fare-free service. Since 2021, Boston has run a pilot program eliminating fares on high-traffic MBTA bus routes, starting with one line in 2021 and expanding to three in 2022. In the state's 2025 fiscal year budget, funding was piloted for fare-free transit to be allocated to regional transit authorities operating outside of the MBTA's coverage area. In 2026 this was upgraded from a pilot program to a permanent budget item.

Forms of fare-free public transport have received political support from prominent Massachusetts politicians such as Governor Maura Healey, U.S. Senator Ed Markey, U.S. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, former Boston acting mayor Kim Janey, and Attorney General Andrea Campbell.

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