Fare-Free Route 1 Bus

At a glance

What: a policy order from Al-Zubi, Vice Mayor Azeem, Sobrinho-Wheeler and McGovern asking the City Manager to gather MBTA boarding data, check bus and operator availability and federal fare equity rules, and talk with Boston about a fare-free MBTA Route 1 (Mass Ave, Harvard Square to Nubian Station) ahead of the FY2028 budget.
Where it stands: adopted as amended 9-0 on Oct 20 (Nolan added as co-sponsor). The order spends no money.
Next: City Manager report; Boston's fare-free pilot is funded only through Dec 31, which is why sponsors want to engage this fall.

Route 1 carries more than 10,000 weekday riders. An earlier estimate put Cambridge's share at $1 million to $1.3 million a year.
Zusy supported it in theory but asked whether fixing bus bunching or subsidizing low-income workers' fares would work better.
Mayor Siddiqui said the earlier Fair Free Working Group's strongest recommendation was Route 1 but the obstacles were substantial.

About 8 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting	Minutes
2026-10-20 - Continued City Council Meeting	8