Free rides on the 23, 28 and 29 buses are funded through December. A council hearing on what comes next is still waiting

Riders on the MBTA's Route 23, 28 and 29 buses through Roxbury, Dorchester and Mattapan do not pay a fare. That arrangement is paid for only through the end of 2026, and the city has not said what happens in January.

The city and the MBTA extended the fare-free program through the end of the year using savings from the MBTA's reduced-fare program for low-income riders, according to a city announcement last updated in June. The city said it expected to work "this summer and fall on options for the fare free program in 2027." It reported nearly 23,000 fare-free trips each weekday on the three routes since January.

The new shuttle plan

Meanwhile, the city is planning a separate service. Wu told the MBTA Advisory Board this month that five free Link Bus shuttle routes are planned for early 2027 and are meant to "complement the regional MBTA system" by closing last-mile gaps, not to compete with MBTA buses, WBUR reported.

The routes would serve Mattapan, Roxbury, Allston-Brighton, the South Boston Waterfront, and Charlestown with neighboring Mystic River communities, according to the city's announcement. The city says about $11.5 million from a federal congestion relief program, administered through MassDOT, would pay for three years of operation. Routes, stops and schedules for Mattapan and Roxbury have not been set. The Economic Development and Industrial Corporation, not the City Council, accepted that money on Sept. 17, according to the city.

What our records show

The council has asked for a plan for the existing free routes since February:

• Feb. 25: A resolution urging continued funding for the fare-free program, filed by City Councilor Enrique Pepén, passed 12-1, with City Councilor Ed Flynn voting no (docket 0425). Pepén cited nearly 24,000 weekday fare-free trips and a 35% ridership increase in the first year (watch at 2:54:29).
• March 4: City Councilor Miniard Culpepper filed an order for a hearing on options to extend and fund the program (docket 0471). He said the hearing was about securing long-term funding so the program "does not disappear when the funding ends" (watch at 56:28). Every other councilor except Flynn signed on as a sponsor. It was referred to committee that day, and no hearing has been held in the nearly eight months since.
• March 4: Culpepper also filed a resolution urging the MBTA and the city to cancel the planned center-running bus lanes on Blue Hill Avenue and use that money for fare-free service (docket 0483). Pepén objected, saying the council first needed to learn from the MBTA and the administration what the grant money could be used for, and it was sent to the Planning, Development and Transportation Committee (watch at 2:08:42). It is still there.

The Blue Hill Avenue fight has since escalated: on Oct. 21 the council voted to summon MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng (our story).

What's next

No hearing on docket 0471 has been posted. Any decision on fare-free service after December would come from the city and the MBTA. Hearings are listed on the city's public notices page, and the city is collecting feedback on the Link Bus.