Analysis of the RTA Seniors and People with Disabilities Ride Free Programs A Report Prepared for the Regional Transportation Authority -FINAL REPORT- Joseph DiJohn, Paul Metaxatos, Ashish Sen, Mike Pagano Lise Dirks and Valbona Kokoshi Phone: 312-996-1458 Email:
[email protected] November 2010 Urban Transportation Center (MC 357) College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs University of Illinois at Chicago 412 South Peoria Street, Suite 340, Chicago, Illinois 60607-7036 Phone: (312) 996-4820; Fax: (312) 413-0006; URL: www.utc.uic.edu Analysis of the RTA Seniors and People with Disabilities Ride Free Programs – FINAL REPORT 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Seniors Ride Free (SRF) program began on March 17, 2008, and the People with Disabilities Ride Free (PDRF) program, also known as the Circuit Breaker (CB) program, began on October 24, 2008. The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) commissioned this study to examine the short- and long-term ridership and financial implications of the Senior Ride Free Program and the short-term financial implications for the PDRF program. Based on our analysis this study has found the SRF program to be financially unsustainable. Registrations SRF registrations increased from under 2,000 in March 2008 to more than 396,000 in December 2009. At the same time reduced fare registrations decreased during the SRF program from 252,260 in March 2008 to 175,632 in December 2009. The registrations of persons with disabilities (Circuit Breakers) have increased from 22,000 in November 2008, the first full month of the program in place, to more than 37,000 in December 2009.