Don't get too used to it

For those of us who have been wondering for a while now what it would take to convince RTA to try going fare-free. We now know the answer is a global pandemic.

Public transit systems in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish are waiving fares for riders beginning Sunday due to continued coronavirus concerns in Louisiana, officials said.

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority announced Friday it will no longer charge for bus, streetcar and ferry services. But, it is also reducing the number of routes it will service.

It would be great if someone suggested we try and keep this going permanently but we know that isn't going to happen. What is going to happen when/if things ever return to "normal" is we are going to start hearing from wealthy people in charge of things that many of our nice ideas about public goods and services "just aren't possible anymore" because of the broken economy.  We began 2020 pushing for free college and healthcare but we will end it being told we can't even afford buses anymore.

Hey thank goodness we saved the airlines, though.