Fair Fares or Financial Burdens?

This CIV ENGR 571 term paper reviews how transit fare policy affects equitable mobility. It evaluates major fare structures — flat, distance-based, zone-based, off-peak, mode-based, means-based, fare-capping, and fare-free models — and examines how each can either reduce or reinforce burdens on low-income and transit-dependent riders. The paper argues for adaptive, data-informed fare policy that balances financial sustainability with affordability, access, and transportation justice.