Bus Fare Figures Adjusted for Inflation

Re “MTA Considers Raising Price of Monthly Passes,” Feb. 13:

The MTA actually is offering close to the 50-cent fare the Bus Riders Union is demanding -- in inflation-adjusted dollars. The BRU has been calling for a return to the 50-cent bus fare that was in effect for a while following passage of Proposition A in 1980. That 50 cents is worth about $1 now. Using the consumer price index, 50 cents in 1981 was worth 99 cents in 2002.

More relevant for some bus riders, the California minimum wage increased from $3.35 an hour (1981) to $6.75 an hour now, making 50 cents then worth $1.01 today.

Darrell Clarke

Santa Monica