I'm not sure about those claims, but I don't think your examples is really a counterexample. The free fare --> drastically higher utilization argument seems li

I'm not sure about those claims, but I don't think your examples is really a counterexample. The free fare --> drastically higher utilization argument seems like something that would apply more in the steady state; nobody is going to sell their car for the one day a year that fares are free, and one of the main advantages of taking a bus is erased if you already have a car.