Commuter Bus Fares to Rise by Up to 15%

While ridership has quadrupled, the city’s commuter buses have not raised fares since they started operating in 1987. That changed this week when the City Council approved a fare increases of as much as 15% for most trips.

Some riders who use the Commuter Express and Community Connection buses for short jaunts will actually save money under the new fare structure, because the price for a trip within a single zone will drop from $1.10 to 90 cents, said David Rzepinski, a transit planner at the Department of Transportation.

But for travelers who pass through more than one of the city’s four zones, fares will jump 4% to 15%, depending upon how they pay. The biggest increases will be borne by those who pay cash rather than buying bus passes, Rzepinski said.

“We’ve never raised the fares in the 12 years we’ve been running this service,” he said. “It’s time.” The two bus services operate a total of 19 routes serving 2.2 million riders throughout the city.

When they started, they had only 11 routes carrying 540,000 passengers, according to a report by City Administrative Officer Bill Fujioka.

The transportation department estimated that the fare increase would bring in an additional $135,000 per year.