48Skid

Do you tap the same transit card every day and still pay full fare for every ride? In New York, Los Angeles, Portland, and Indianapolis, the fare system may already owe you free rides — once your spending hits a daily, weekly, or monthly ceiling, the rest of your trips cost nothing. That ceiling is called fare capping, and it works automatically. No pass to buy in advance, no form to fill out. But it only works if you pay the right way, and in some big cities it does not exist at all. Here is how it works, what each city charges, and the math that shows whether it saves you anything. What fare capping actually does Fare capping turns a pay-per-ride system into an unlimited pass — but only after you have ridden enough to earn it. Every tap charges the normal single fare. The system keeps a running total, and once that total reaches the price of a day, week, or month pass, every further ride in that period is free. You never pay more than the pass price, and you never pay for a pass...