CU holds public meeting today on bus-fare increase

A public meeting on the issue is scheduled for 4:30–7:30 p.m. today at the Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway. The Board of Public Utilities will consider public comments when it takes up the fare-increase issue at its May or June meeting, according to Transit Director Carol Cruise. If approved, the proposal would go to Springfield City Council for final approval.

The proposed increase would raise the adult passenger fare from 75 cents to $1 Oct. 1, then to $1.10 Oct. 1, 2008, and to $1.25 Oct. 1, 2009. All other fare categories would rise proportionately by 2009, including a 25-cent increase in elderly and disabled fares, a 50-cent increase in youth fares and a $1 increase in paratransit service. (Click here for a breakdown of all fare increases, provided by CU.)

“None of us really like to raise rates, but if you’ll look at all of our costs over the past few years, fuel especially has increased pretty dramatically,” Cruise said. “Even without adding service to the system, our costs go up every year.”

The city’s bus fare rates have not changed since 1997 and, before that, since 1983.

“We just don’t raise them very often, and it’s something that we feel pretty strongly needs to happen,” Cruise added.

Though exact figures have not been calculated, Cruise said the fare increase could generate between $100,000 and $125,000 in additional revenue in its first year. That funding would supplement state and federal grants and lessen a need to raise utility customers’ rates to cover shortfalls.

However, the new revenue could be partially offset by a decline in ridership resulting from the fare increase, Cruise said.