Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Council Votes to Raise Bus Fares : Transportation: Prices for one-way tickets will increase to $2.50 from $2 for adults.

Bus riders traveling between the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys will need more pocket change beginning in October.

The Santa Clarita City Council voted 5 to 0 Tuesday to raise the cost of one-way fares for adults by 25% and to increase other ticket prices to a lesser degree.

Adult fares will go up from $2 to $2.50 for one-way rides, from $40 to $43 for 20-trip ticket books and from $65 to $70 for monthly passes. Tickets for students, senior citizens and disabled riders are half of the adult fare.

City transit officials established the three express lines--796, 797 and 798--after the Northridge earthquake and say the rate increases will make fares comparable to other commuter lines now operating from Santa Clarita.

About 300 riders use the express routes daily between the Santa Clarita and San Fernando valleys, according to city Transit Manager Ron Kilcoyne.

The city pays $1.1 million to provide the service. It now recovers 20% of the cost from ticket purchases, and will recover an additional 10% with the fare increases, Kilcoyne said. The new ticket prices begin Oct. 1.

Some bus passengers complained about the rate increases, saying they will discourage people from taking the bus at a time when city officials should be encouraging ridership.

Council members said they prefer to raise rates gradually, and backed off on even greater increases that would have priced 20-trip ticket books at $50 and monthly passes at $80.

“If you want to raise your fares $15 a month, you’re going to lose riders,” said Jack Hamilton, a Santa Clarita resident who has ridden the express bus service since it began.

“It seems to me, we’re raising it a whole big hunk at one time,” said Councilwoman Jan Heidt, before voting on the smaller increases. “I know we have to adjust it, but can’t we make it less painful?”