The Call for Making Public Transit Free Continues In this May 17, 2005, file photo, former Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation John Cogliano shows a CharlieTicket, an automated fare card, at Airport Station in Boston. Chitose Suzuki/AP In a surprising move, the Worcester Regional Transit Authority last week voted to end its year-long experiment with free bus service. The program began as a one-year pilot last March offering free bus service on all its routes. Members cast their votes without giving a reason, but cost may have been a factor. The one-year trial cost the city $2 million in lost revenue. But one board member was upset. Gary Rosen said with more than $ 40 million in federal COVID-19 relief money coming to the city, the board should continue the fare-free pilot for another year.