This stunning conclusion came from Tony Kouneski, the General Manager of Capital Metro in Austin during the free-ride period. Kouneski spoke yesterday at the Regional Bus Leadership Forum convened and chaired by King County Executive Ron Sims.

Free bus rides in Austin did result in a 60 percent increase in ridership, but most of those were students and additional trips by existing riders. Austin commuters continued to drive their cars, same as before the free ride experiment.

Kouneski's presentation followed that of Matt Griffin, a downtown Seattle businessman who spoke in support of the Free Ride Express plan. This plan was developed by Chuck Collins, a former Metro Transit director, and would divert all of Sound Transit's light rail revenues away from Link light rail and apply them to free bus and vanpool rides.

Griffin claimed that this would result in a larger reduction in traffic congestion as more commuters leave their cars at home and switch to free buses and vanpools.

Revelation of the Austin experience could put an end to the wishful thinking surrounding free bus rides. Chuck Collins' only selling point for his plan has been his claim that it would reduce traffic congestion more than light rail would.

The experience in Austin strongly suggests this won't happen.

At the very least, Chuck Collins needs to step forward and tell us if free bus rides have ever reduced traffic congestion anywhere, in any of the cities which have tried the experiment. I suspect that the Austin experience is not unique.

Eliminating Link light rail in favor of free buses and vanpools is a risk this region cannot afford.

Much has been invested in the quest for the high-capacity congestion-free transit that would be provided by Link light rail. It would be folly abandon that effort now, in favor of more buses stuck in traffic.