At the end of 2021, the port city of Genoa, Italy, introduced free public transit. Following the success of the initiative, the experiment, originally scheduled to end on March 31, 2022, was extended for another four months.
Vertical transit systems (such as elevators and funiculars) will remain free seven days a week with no time restrictions, while free subway access is available during two specific windows: daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. This free access will be valid until July 31.
“The goal of the free subway and vertical transit systems is to maximize public transit use in the city to promote more sustainable mobility. By increasing ridership, we can reduce private vehicle use and CO₂ emissions,” the City of Genoa stated in a press release.
In addition to encouraging the use of local public transit, the project also aimed to evaluate the real potential for behavioral change driven by fare-free transit. Below are some of the positive results of the experiment reported by the city administration:
“We want a reality on par with major European cities, where public transit is comprehensive and responsive to citizens' needs, taking precedence over private vehicles, with a low environmental impact. We have been working on this project for a few years, and now we are taking the first concrete steps,” says Mayor Marco Bucci.
According to Bucci, Genoa aims to become the first Italian city to offer entirely free public transit.
Via CicloVivo.
This article was written by Marcia Sousa. The translation is powered by AI.
