Public Call to Action Demands Free Transportation in the Face of Proposed Fare Hikes and Criminalization

For Immediate Release

D.C. grassroots organization highlights need for free transportation through collective outcry.

November 7th, 2026 –At a time of increasing debate over fare enforcement strategies and concerns regarding public safety on transit, WMATA is considering a proposal to increase Metrorail fare by 11.1% and metrobus fare from $2.25 to $2.50. Metro had initially considered a bill, passed by DC Council, that waived bus fares for all rides within the District. However, after requests to delay its implementation, plans were halted in 2023.

Metro has since invested in the overhaul of bus routes through the 2025 Better Bus project and the 2026 Fares Pay for Service campaign. The latter program has increased the issuing of citations for evading fare, arrests, and increased enforcement by additional National Guardsmen in Ward 7 & 8, largely comprised of working-class, Black and Latino residents. Some advocates against fare increases say the heightened federal presence in stations and cost saving measures fail to address the root issues that contribute to fare evasion, such as financial instability amongst working-class Washingtonians caused by systemic disparities.

Some of the disparities include severe food scarcity across Wards 7 and 8, burdening energy and utility costs, predominately affecting Black households neighborhoods, and DC healthcare cuts affecting low income residents. Meanwhile, D.C. has continued to invest in major development projects including $3.8 billion for the revitalization of RFK Stadium and $400 million for a “Downtown Action Plan.” This is coupled with a 15% proposed increase to police funding and a federal commitment of $292 million to house the national guard in DC until 2029.

A local grassroots group, Pan-African Community Action (PACA), is launching a petition to demand free transportation, which the organization sees as a human right. In March of 2026, PACA launched “a people’s platform” dubbed Community Control DC, or, CCDC. The platform’s demands extend across all facets of life, including Demand #9: “Transportation Shall Be Free and Accessible“.

A rally, held at Anacostia Metro Station, will kick off with the Transit Solidarity Program (TSP) which provides pre-loaded SmartTrip cards to community members. Along with card distribution, attendees can expect statements and speeches, spotlighting the impact of high public transportation costs for people who are unemployed and underemployed — particularly those in systemically low-income communities, which are disproportionately patrolled by federal forces, like the National Guard.

The action takes place Saturday, November 7th from 12pm to 2pm outside of the Anacostia Metro station, located at 1101 Howard Rd SE, Washington, DC 20020.

About Pan-African Community Action (PACA):

Emerging in November 2015 in direct response to the killing of 27 year-old Alonzo Smith by DC Special Police, Pan-African Community Action is a grassroots group of African/Black people organizing for community-based power. This organization, based in Washington, D.C., works to actualize this through political education and participatory programs of action. ###

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