In New Mexico, America's largest fare-free transit system is just another way home

In Albuquerque, catching the bus can be as simple as stepping aboard and taking a seat, as a transit-focused content creator's ride across town is drawing attention to a rare U.S. experiment: a large city system where public transportation is free to use.

Here's what to know

In a video posted to TikTok, dzhoww (@dzhoww) used a return trip from the National Hispanic Cultural Center to downtown to spotlight Albuquerque's ABQ RIDE network. He described the city in the post as the biggest fare-free transit system in the U.S. and one of the largest of its kind in the world.

@dzhoww Albuquerque is the largest free public transit city in America and one of the largest in the world!! #publictransit #metro ♬ original sound - dzhoww

The creator summed up the policy simply, saying, "All the buses, all the rapid transit, um, throughout the whole city are free or fareless."

In the video, he pointed to finances and ridership needs as reasons for the policy. Albuquerque, he said, "went fareless" because "the amount of money being spent on collection efforts [was] more than how much they were getting in revenue from collecting those fares." The creator added that "there were a lot of folks that were not able to use the transit system because of the fares."

One commenter wrote, "The kind of reporting ppl want (I'm ppl)."

More background

Removing fares can make daily life easier for people who rely on buses to get to work, school, medical appointments, and errands — especially in households without a car.

As the creator put it, public transit can function "like, you know, the fire department or the library system. It's meant to be a public utility or service for folks that live in Albuquerque, especially low income folks or folks without cars."

One person wrote: "I was a part of one of the programs that actually did some of that information gathering. You end up learning that a good chunk of our society is upheld by people who can't afford a car. I had teachers growing up who took the buses and bikes, and until I actually had a job to afford insurance, I was also heavily reliant on buses."

Locals noted that the system is not without challenges. One commenter warned, "Be safe dude, our transit system can be pretty dangerous," while another said, "it has its flaws."

What's being done?

The biggest step already in place is the fare-free policy itself. Rather than treating fares as a necessary source of income, Albuquerque's system appears to be prioritizing access and reducing a barrier for riders who need the service most.

"Not every city has the same set of conditions, and it's not a magic solution," he said.

Free fares alone do not automatically solve concerns about safety, reliability, or rider experience.

One commenter called New Mexico and Albuquerque "totally unsung pioneers of so many cool social programs," adding, "Love to see us getting attention for some of our good things!"

"I'm just a visitor. I don't live here. But it's a really interesting approach," the creator said. "It's one that I think is worth considering, thinking through."

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