Councillor wants to offer a free day riding London Transit — but should it be everyday?

A city councillor wants free rides on London Transit on a Sunday this fall, and urges colleagues to pursue no-fare transit in the future.

Coun. Skylar Franke has submitted a motion to the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) requesting free bus service on September 22, 2024 to align with the local celebration of International Car Free Day.

She’s asking council colleagues to allocate $17,000 from a reserve fund to offset the LTC’s lost revenue.

“It would be citywide on a Sunday. Anyone could hop on [and] hop off,” Franke told CTV News.

Her motion comes just two weeks after Franke raised eyebrows during a committee meeting by expressing support of free transit every day for everyone.

“I am very open to a completely free fare, for the entire city. (I’m) very interested in that,” she said on April 16 during a discussion about a pilot project to offer free bus passes to high school students.

No councillors took up her offer to make a motion.

London Transit fares range from $2.65 to $3.50 for a single ride. A monthly Citipass offers unlimited rides for $112.

There are also a number of subsidized fares for seniors, youth, post-secondary students, and low-income Londoners.

According to LTC budget documents, 20 million rides each year generate $39.2-million in bus fares.

However, Franke pointed to the far greater amount of tax dollars spent on infrastructure for car drivers.

“Is car ridership what we want to spend most of our transportation money on?” she asked. “Or do we want to diversify more?”

Eliminating bus fares would likely boost ridership, but London Transit already struggles to meet existing demand on many of its routes.

Franke admitted turning the concept into reality would require financial support from the provincial and federal governments, but says free transit aligns with climate targets set by all three levels of government.

“Encouraging people to take sustainable methods of transportation by having a really healthy transit system, all of those things are part of a really good city,” she explained.

On Tuesday a committee will consider Franke’s motion for a single fare-free day to take place on September 22, 2024.