Bus Riders Union of Austin, Texas | El Sindicato de Pasajeros

Cap Metro Fares Could
Increase
http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/news/local/080709_Cap_Metro_Fares_Could_I...

Updated: Friday, 07 Aug 2009, 5:54 PM CDT
Published : Friday, 07 Aug 2009, 5:54 PM CDT

A special meeting of the Capital Metro board of directors is scheduled for Monday.

New fare increases and new cutbacks in service are expected to be proposed. One price hike is for a ticket you can't even buy yet.

It once took only 2 quarters to ride the bus. In October, bus fare went to 75-cents. With a jump to a dollar scheduled to take place a year from now, riders like Christina Nyman are trying to take the extra expense in stride.

"It will still be worth it. I guess gas prices are at the bottom and will only go up, said Nyman.

Nyman may have to start digging for an extra quarter sooner than expected. With sales tax-revenue on the decline managers at Capital Metro are considering a new round of fare increases. A worst case scenario includes;

Moving up the planned $1.00 bus fare increase from next August to this January. Increasing the proposed hike for Express routes to as much as $2.50. A price jump for a 31 day pass could reach $28.00. Metro Access rates, for the disabled, could also experience major price bumps.

"We have to work with what we get, we've already implemented a number of other cost saving measures but one thing we have to take a look at is passing along some additional costs to our customers, Said agency spokesperson Adam Shaivitz.

Rate hikes could also hit the agency's Metro Rail project, which has yet to start passenger service. The current plan splits the Leander to Downtown Austin rail route into 2 zones. Palmer Lane was selected as the boundary. For someone riding the rail from Leander to downtown, and then back again to Leander, the round trip price was set at $3.

The price rate is already posted on the ticket machines. But the rate could be obsolete before ticket machines are turned on. Under a new proposal, the 32-mile route could be broken into 3 zones, not two. As a result, the longer the ride, the higher the price. A trip to downtown from the MLK station could be set at $1.00.

A suggested rate, possibly, from Howard Lane is at $2.50. A one way ticket from Leander may end up costing $4-dollars. For some, who have been waiting for the train, the possibility of an $8 round trip ticket is a deal breaker.

"Its totally more to take the train, why would we switch to the train?" Asked Olivia Starr.

Starrs fellow bus rider, Valon Imeri believes CapMetro board members would be making a mistake.

"Why would we want to pay 8 bucks for the train when we could take the bus and it would be cheaper," said Imeri.

CapMetro's money problem is not unique. According to a survey by the American Public Transportation Association, 90% of all transit systems in the country are increasing fares and reducing service. Hard numbers on whats being proposed will be revealed on Monday. Public hearings will be held before a final vote. A final decision on the rate hikes will be made in late September.