Greening Austin Daily

Cap Metro May Decrease Rail Fares, Increase Some Bus Fares, and Increase Costs to Seniors and People with Disabilities

2nd September, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments

Check out this Statesman article, which says that:

Some rail riders, those who take shorter “one-zone” rides, would see their costs drop 50 percent or more. Those who take longer trips between the outlying stations on the 32-mile line and Central Austin would see about an 8 percent cheaper fare.

At the same time, people 65 or older and people with disabilities, who long have been able to ride Capital Metro buses without paying, would have a 50 cent one-way fare and a $15 charge for a 31-day pass.

Approval of the budget, which the Capital Metro board will consider on Sept. 24 after holding a Sept. 20 public hearing, would not constitute approval of the fare changes, which also include increases in 31-day passes for regular and express bus rides, and for door-to-door paratransit rides for people with qualifying disabilities. Instead, the board later in the fall would have to hold public hearings and take a separate vote on what would be the agency’s third fare increase since October 2008 .

Check out the full article for more details