A bill to suspend transportation fares for riders of Columbia’s GoCOMO public transit system has been first-read by the city council.
GoCOMO has been operating fare free since the COVID pandemic began in March 2020. The city used federal CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to keep it fare free for a few years, and those funds have been spent.
City manager De’Carlon Seewood and GoCOMO officials say they have the money to keep the bus system fare free for another year: the city council packet says they’ll use current transportation sales tax funding, a Federal Transit Administration (FTA) operating grant and a state operating grant. GoCOMO says ridership for their fixed route during fiscal year 2023 was about 524,000, while ridership for paratransit in fiscal year 2023 was about 56,000.
The council is expected to vote on bill in two weeks.
