Not a single top performing public transit system in the world is free. The purpose of a nominal fare with strict enforcement beyond operational revenue is that it’s a very simple and effective filter for antisocial behavior that makes public transit unpleasant and unsafe.

Public transit is not a state-funded flophouse despite what American progressives want. The best systems in the world prioritizes high levels of service, cleanliness, and enforcement.

What transit riders want by a wide margin is “frequent and no junkies”, not “$2 off”