Ridership exceeds pre-pandemic levels
Ridership on the three free bus routes exceeds what it was before pandemic restrictions began by about 16 percent. This bucks the system-wide trend on the MBTA, where ridership across all bus lines is still about 21 percent lower than it was in mid-February of 2020.
A bar graph showing how bus ridership increased under the MBTA's free fare program. It compares the number of riders the week of Feb. 17, 2020 with the number of riders the week of Feb. 13, 2023.
On Route 23: 8,845 before, 10185 after.
28: 9,128 before, 10905 after.
29: 1,591 before, 1,652 after.
