The free local Longmont bus service will continue until the end of 2016 due to the City Council’s 6-0 vote late Tuesday night. Councilman Gabe Santos was absent.

The program, where the city and Boulder County paid to buy out the farebox for Longmont local routes, began in July 2014. Since then, the county has paid roughly $330,000, or 72 percent of the program, while the city picked up the remaining $126,000, or 28 percent.

If the city and the county had not bought out the farebox, the local fares are $2.60 per person per one-way trip.

Now the county will go 50-50 with Longmont on the free fare program for the rest of 2016. Both the city and the county will pay $68,826 for the six-month extension of the program.

Scott McCarey, Boulder County’s alternative transportation coordinator, spoke to the council during public comment. McCarey said the ridership has tripled on the Longmont routes during the program’s tenure.

“There were 600 boardings a day and now there are 1,800 per day,” McCarey said. “I encourage you to take Boulder County up on their offer to pay half the cost and continue the program.”

McCarey said that continuing the program for another six months will allow Longmont and county staff to talk with RTD staff about ways to continue the program past the end of 2016.

Sandy Stewart, who works with the OUR Center, also encouraged the council to vote to extend the program.

“Affordable transportation frees up money for people to spend on other aspects of life, like housing,” Stewart said. “It gives people a freedom to be active in the community and make trips that they could otherwise not afford.”

Karen Antonacci: 303-684-5226, antonaccik@times-call.com or twitter.com/ktonacci