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A
25-cent fare increase will be take place in
most King County Metro Transit cash fare
categories starting March 1, 2008. It is the
first fare increase in seven years during
which time Transit operating costs have
increased by 37 percent. For example, the
price Metro paid for diesel fuel in July
2001 was 75 cents a gallon. In July 2007,
Metro paid $2.15 a gallon. A significant
portion of the fare increase will cover fuel
costs.
Metro has taken steps to
offset rising costs and hold
fares steady in the past seven
years. At this time, however, it
has limited Metro's ability to
keep up with increasing demand
for transit services and is now
affecting the on-time
performance of the bus service.
The fare increase will raise
$11.7 million in additional
revenues annually and allow
Metro to maintain and improve
the reliability, dependability
and predictability of its
system.
Metro's Adult fare -
including peak and off-peak -
will increase by 25 cents on
March 1. Youth, Senior/Disabled
off-peak and Access fares will
increase July 1. Senior/disabled
peak and Access cash fares will
not increase.
Prices will increase as shown
in the table below:
| Cash Fare Categories |
Current |
New Fare |
| Adult Off-Peak |
$1.25 |
$1.50 |
| Adult Peak 1-Zone |
$1.50 |
$1.75 |
| Adult Peak 2-Zone |
$2.00 |
$2.25 |
| Youth |
$0.50 |
$0.75 |
| Senior/Disabled Off-Peak |
$0.25 |
$0.50 |
| Senior/Disabled Peak |
$0.50 |
$0.50 |
| Access |
$0.75 |
$0.75 |
| Pass - One Month |
| Adult Off-Peak |
$45.00 |
$54.00 |
| Adult Peak 1-Zone |
$54.00 |
$63.00 |
| Adult Peak 2-Zone |
$72.00 |
$81.00 |
| Youth |
$18.00 |
$27.00 |
| Senior/Disabled |
$5.50 |
$9.00 |
| Access |
$13.50 |
$18.00 |
Prices would also increase
for FlexPasses - bus passes that
employers provide to their
employees. The timing of the
increase will depend on when
individual contracts between
Metro and the employers renew,
with all contracts being revised
by July 1, 2008.
Transit Now funds are for
service expansion King County is
expecting to add 1.2 million new
residents by 2020. King County
voters passed the Transit Now
initiative in November 2006,
increasing the sales tax by
one-tenth of one percent to pay
for expanded transit services.
Transit Now is intended to
expand Metro's system countywide
to keep up with this growth ""
not to pay for increasing costs
to maintain daily services and
operations. Transit Now funds
will expand Metro Transit
service by up to 20 percent over
the next 10 years.
If you have additional
questions, please contact the
Metro Online Sales Office at
(206) 263-3582.
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