IN-PERSON Lisbon Livable Cities. Section A

Abstract

Fare evasion is a persistent challenge for public transit systems, costing agencies millions in lost revenue and undermining trust, service quality, and equitable access. While enforcement and pricing strategies have traditionally been used to curb fare evasion, this research highlights a different angle: the role of social norms. Fare payment often depends on a shared expectation that riders will voluntarily comply. When that expectation erodes, fare evasion becomes less about breaking rules and more about simply avoiding barriers. This study explores when fare evasion becomes socially normalized and what factors contribute to that shift. It asks whether perceptions and behaviors around fare evasion vary across income, occupation, race, gender, student status, and prior experience with the MBTA. A key part of the research focuses on the March 24, 2025, launch of a new commuter rail line, offering a natural opportunity to study how fare norms emerge and evolve over time. Using semi-structured interviews and surveys with MBTA riders, staff, and enforcement officials, the study will track social attitudes across multiple time points. Preliminary expectations suggest that fare evasion spreads when people perceive the system as unfair, enforcement as weak, and peer behavior as permissive. Among younger riders, peer pressure may even make evasion seem fun or rebellious. The findings aim to help transit agencies better understand the social and psychological roots of fare evasion, leading to more effective and equitable policies—especially during system expansions or changes in fare structure.