Public transportation helps Philadelphians get around our city. People use SEPTA to go to work, visit the doctor, and see loved ones. However, the cost of a bus or train ride can be a barrier to making these important trips.  

The Zero Fare pilot program provides free SEPTA Key cards to low-income Philadelphia residents. Participants must be aged 18-64, and they come from all walks of life. The program has over 37,000 participants. They can use their Zero Fare cards to go anywhere SEPTA takes them for free – on the bus, subway, trolley, or Regional Rail. If they qualify, they can also use SEPTA’s paratransit service (SEPTA Access) at no cost.  

Participants do not sign up for Zero Fare directly with the City. About 90% of participants are chosen through a lottery and are automatically enrolled. The program uses a lottery because more Philadelphia residents qualify than the program can currently serve with its available funding. The other 10% join through community-based organizations (CBOs). These organizations help connect eligible residents who are not enrolled in public benefit programs and are not included in the lottery. 

The Zero Fare program launched in August 2023. It was initially a two-year pilot program intended to reduce barriers to transit. The program was then extended for the 2026 fiscal year and again for the 2027 fiscal year. The Zero Fare program is not currently enrolling new participants.   

Zero Fare is a National Model  

The Zero Fare program stands out among similar programs in the U.S. for many reasons. First, the Zero Fare card lets program participants ride SEPTA for free. Across the country, the most common discount is 50 percent of the full fare. Zero Fare lets Philadelphians with little to no income ride SEPTA, so they don’t have to worry about the cost.   

The Zero Fare card also allows participants to ride for free across the entire SEPTA system. It’s not limited to just the city’s bus, trolley, and subway lines. Free regional rail access expands participants’ access to opportunities across the Philadelphia region. The ability for qualifying participants to use SEPTA Access also sets Zero Fare apart.  

 The Zero Fare program is also different because it uses automatic enrollment. This helps remove barriers that can come with filling out an application. Unlike most public benefit programs, most people in Zero Fare do not need to apply. Instead, the City uses existing records to identify residents who qualify for the program. People are then randomly chosen from this list and automatically enrolled. So far, this approach seems to be working, and research from the Urban Institute agrees. Zero Fare has had a higher participation rate than any other transit benefit program for low-income riders.  

Zero Fare By the Numbers  

Zero Fare collects data on the program regularly so that the program can be monitored and improved. Zero Fare’s page on Philly Stat 360 is updated on a quarterly basis with the number of Zero Fare participants who used their card and how many trips Zero Fare participants took.  

For the most recent quarter (June-August 2026):  

  • 2.4 million trips  
  • This brings the number of trips that Zero Fare participants have taken on SEPTA since the start of the program to 19.6 million  
  • Over 24,200 active participants  
  • In total, over 37,000 participants have used a Zero Fare card as of October 2026. 

Other Local Transit Access Programs  

Zero Fare is one of several programs in Philadelphia that work to reduce barriers to transit access. SEPTA’s Student Fare and Senior Fare programs cover age groups not eligible for Zero Fare.  

  • The SEPTA Student Fare Card is provided by the School District of Philadelphia to eligible students based on grade level and the distance between home and school. Students can ride for free with the Student Fare Card.  
  • The SEPTA Senior Fare program is available for all Pennsylvania residents age 65 and older. Seniors can ride for free on all SEPTA on all transit (bus, trolley, and Metro) routes and all Regional Rail trips that start and end in the state of Pennsylvania.  

Evaluating Zero Fare’s Impact  

Earlier this year, the Urban Institute released an evaluation of the Zero Fare program. This report was produced with funding from the William Penn Foundation. Researchers investigated the landscape of transit benefit programs in the U.S. They also interviewed staff across departments and agencies involved in administering the program. Finally, they held focus groups with program participants.   

The report’s key findings include:  

  • Zero Fare unlocks opportunities for low-income Philadelphia residents  
  • The program’s use of automatic enrollment helped to reduce gaps in participation   
  • Automatic enrollment also facilitated the efficient administration of the program  

Zero Fare is also being evaluated by researchers at the Better Government Lab. This is a joint research center from Georgetown University and the University of Michigan. The Better Government Lab team recently released the first piece of their analysis in a new policy brief.   

The brief finds that   

  • The Zero Fare program substantially increased SEPTA usage for program participants. This finding is consistent across the study period. Usage increased for every racial and ethnic group, age group, and employment status.   
  • The Zero Fare program also increased trust in city government for program participants.  

Further analysis of the Zero Fare program is expected from the Better Government Lab in the coming months.  

Learn more about Zero Fare