Free rides on Mountain Metro buses in August

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Passengers won't have to pay up to ride on Mountain Metropolitan Transit (MMT) buses this August.

The bus fare will be free for the entire month, thanks to the passage of Senate Bill 22-180.

The free rides are in an effort to reduce air pollution, through the "Zero Fare for Better Air" initiative. It's designed to reduce ground-level ozone by increasing the use of public transit.

"It's a grant program where the transit agencies apply for reimbursement to recover the lost fare for the month of August," said Brian Vitulli, Transit Planning Supervisor for Mountain Metro Transit. "Campaigns like this can really help enhance the level of our services and show to our customers and people who may want to ride, what transit can do."

MMT riders will not have to use or purchase fare products from August 1-31, during Colorado’s high ozone season.

"It's a great opportunity to introduce our transit system to new riders: people who may have thought about riding the bus but never have," said Vitulli. "It's a great opportunity for everyone involved."

All Regional Transportation District services in Denver will also be fare-free during August. 

Pueblo Transit says it has also submitted a grant application to participate in this initiative but is still waiting to hear back from the state. They say they will notify the community of free rides as soon as they find out they have the money.

Mountain Metro says unfortunately those who bought a bus pass before the free ride announcement won’t be reimbursed for the month of August. They say they applied for the grant last week and found out they would receive the money Tuesday, so they weren't able to give any heads up to customers.