Santa Maria bus riders will have to shell out some extra quarters starting Monday, Feb. 13, when Santa Maria Area Transit plans to hike bus fares for the first time in 13 years.
The fare increases follow unanimous approval of transit service changes by the City Council on Aug. 2, 2016, and aim to help the city achieve a 20 percent revenue from fares and mitigate increasing operating costs, according to a news release from the city.
The Sun reached out to Santa Maria’s transit division for comment, but calls were not returned before press time.
Regular ride fares will increase from $1.25 to $1.50, student fares will rise from $1 to $1.25, and the fare for senior or disabled riders and riders with Medicare will jump from 60 cents to 75 cents. Monthly pass fares will rise as well, to $48 for regular passes; $31 for students; and $24 for seniors, disabled riders, and riders with Medicare.
A cash fare increase for rides under the American Disabilities Act will phase in over the next three years—it will jump to $2 on Feb. 13, to $2.50 next year, and to $3 in 2019.
Transit will also eliminate evening routes 61 and 62 due to “extremely low ridership,” according to the news release, and extend daytime routes into the evening on weekdays. Routes 1 through 7 will run as late as 9:45 p.m., and transit will start offering weekend service on holidays with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve.
Prior to implementing the service changes, city staff performed ride-checks, spoke with riders, and held 12 public workshops to gather input, the news release said. City staff also restructured its contract with the city’s transit provider in an attempt to reduce operating costs.
The transit division will provide new transit maps and schedules to go along with the service changes, also starting on Feb. 13.
This article appears in Feb 9-16, 2017.