Manatee County to temporarily halt collection of bus fares

Manatee County bus riders will get a glimpse of what it’s like to not pay for transportation soon. 

The 18-month pilot program for fare-free transportation is expected to roll out Tuesday, Nov. 1, for Manatee County Area Transit, according to a statement. 

The MCAT buses in Manatee County will be free to passengers until they reach the Sarasota County portion of the Route 99 service, which will still collect a fare. That route links downtown Bradenton to the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport and downtown Sarasota.
 
The fare-free idea came from at-large Manatee County Commissioner George Kruse, who pointed out that the fares only make up a small part of the $20 million the county spends on transit. Kruse pointed to the Anna Maria Island Trolley as an example that free fares are already effective in Manatee County. 
 
“If we start treating transit like infrastructure instead of like a service,” Kruse says in the press release, “I think you're going to start seeing a massive improvement in people's lives.” 
 
The pilot program was adopted Sept. 27 Resolution R-22-186.