Monday, January 12, 2009

The Numbers Behind STA's Proposed Fare Increases

The Spokane Transit Authority board is considering a fare increase later this year, due to rising costs at STA. Here's how fares would increase under the two-step plan:

- $1 fares for youths and adults would go to $1.25 in September, then to $1.50 in January 2011.

- The adult monthly pass would go from $33 to $40 in September and $45 in 2011.

- Adult fares for express routes have been the same as regular routes. Those fares would become more expensive, increasing them to $1.50 in September and $2 in 2011.

- Express routes would have monthly pass of $45 in September and $50 in 2011.

- A single fare for seniors and people with disabilities would go from 50 cents now to 60 cents in September and 75 cents in 2011.

Here's some more info you may not know:

- Sales taxes currently pay 83% of the cost of running Spokane Transit Authority buses.

- STA last raised fares in 2002.

- If bus riders paid the full cost of providing transit service in Spokane, a one-way fare would be $5.

- Public open houses to take comment on the fare increase proposal will be scheduled in March.

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About SRTC

SRTC is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Spokane County. Urbanized areas with populations exceeding 50,000 people are required to have an MPO. SRTC was formed to address the county's transportation planning needs. It provides coordination in planning between the public, cities, small towns, the county, the state, transit providers, and tribes.

SRTC offers services including transportation monitoring, transportation modeling, census information analysis, travel demand forecasting, historical traffic count analysis, geographic information systems, and trip generation rates.