Tucson Crime Free Coalition Newsletter April 21st, 2026

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The City of Tucson uses Kansas City as a model for Free Fares, but there is a catch - Kansas City is bringing fares back on June 1st after facing many of the similar problems Tucson has. 

“I’m ready because there’s just a lot going on the busses so, I’ll pay the two dollars or whatever it is so I can ride peacefully,” said Keon Jordan, a daily RideKC bus rider."

“Fares represent an important revenue generator that helps support on-street service. We believe that restoring fares will improve the overall rider experience for everyone,” Tyler Means KCATA’s Chief Mobility Officer." 

Read the article here: https://www.kctv5.com/2026/01/15/ridekc-reinstate-bus-fare-end-free-ride-period-this/

It’s hard to tell if Mayor Romero and the City Council know Kansas City is restoring fares, or if they are just conveniently ignoring this fact.  

Free fares failed in Kansas City and have failed in Tucson- the difference being that Tucson is willing double down on its failures like it has with everything else (economic stagnation including negative job growth, roads, unusable parks & recreation centers, etc).

April 21 Council Meeting: They Don’t Want to Hear From You!

At today’s Mayor and Council meeting, free transit was back on the agenda.

And once again, the outcome told us what we have known all along. This Mayor and Council is not working on behalf of all of us and is driven by agenda based politics over everything else.

Council Member Lane Santa Cruz made a motion to keep fares exactly as they are, free. Santa Cruz touted all of her perceived benefits of the free fare system, yet never gave thought to the issues with crime and drug use that Tucson has become accustomed to seeing on our streets and busses on a daily basis.

Council Member Nikki Lee made a separate motion, immediately seconded by Council Member Paul Cunningham, to do something pretty simple: ask the community and stakeholders for input. Mayor Romero opined at length that had they chosen to get community input, she felt the rooms would be packed with organized opposition, one could interpret that as she doesn't want to hear from people that don't share her perspectives. So if you take time out of your day to show up and speak, you’re dismissed before you even open your mouth.

“Fare Free Transit: Let the Voters Decide” - Kevin Dahl. Councilmember Dahl wrote an article with this title in April of 2025. The article was focused on Prop 414 which would have raised taxes to fund City pet projects like Free Fares. The voters did decide and voted it down by a margin of 70%-30%.

Dahl was nearly silent today.

On social media, even people who don’t agree with TCFC on topics, acknowledged “restoring fares might be the one thing we agree on.”

A roll call vote was taken. There was support from Councilmembers Lee, Cunningham, and Barajas who all said they felt constituents and stakeholders should have the opportunity to weigh in. Yet the motion was opposed by Mayor Romero, and Council Members Dahl, Santa Cruz and Schubert (who wanted to leave fares free until April of 2028 without further discussion). No real surprises here.

The motion failed 4-3, they voted against hearing from you.

We do need to give credit where credit is due, Lee, Cunningham and Barajas tried to hear from the community, which TCFC is grateful for.

However there was another critical part of the conversation. After Mayor Romero once again voiced her negative rhetoric about Doug Ducey and the flat tax killing the budget of Tucson, she went on to say the County and surrounding jurisdictions don’t pay their fair share (according to Mayor Romero nobody does), toward the maintenance of transit and that more money needs to come to Tucson from these other jurisdictions. This Mayor and Council love to be victims and play the blame game.

However this could present an opportunity. The City is still strapped for cash and will likely formally request other municipalities/jurisdictions for transit maintenance funding. This is an opportunity for neighboring jurisdictions to use the power of the wallet to demand that the City restore fares and accountability to Sun Tran. Members who live outside the City- call your elected leaders and tell them “no more hard earned tax dollars to fund the free crime bus.”

On an amusing note, Council Member Santa Cruz wants businesses and people to “adopt-a-bus stop,” to clean and maintain them. We are waiting for the Ward 1 staff to take the first one, perhaps at Ft. Lowell and Stone, in case they truly want to lead by example. (Yes we know that is in Ward 3).

We will stay engaged and bring updates as we receive them, but for now the Free Crime Bus rolls on.

Thank you for your support and continuing this journey with us.

— Tucson Crime Free Coalition