Public invited to weigh in on bus fare hike

Stephen Curran

Friday, July 15, 2005 | 9:47 a.m.

The Regional Transportation Commission will hold six public meetings this summer to gauge public opinion on a proposed increase in bus fares:

The Regional Transportation Commission will soon begin gauging public support for what would be its first bus fare increase since 1999.

The commission's 6-0 authorization gave the RTC the go-ahead to weigh a variety of possible fare hikes meant to bring more money into the Citizens Area Transit system's fareboxes.

Neither of the two possible scenarios put before the transportation board on Thursday includes an increase to the single-ride residential fares, which now cost $1.25, RTC Chief Financial Officer Terry Cordell said.

Instead, the 37.6 percent of riders who rely on full- or reduced-price monthly passes could see an increase of up to $10. A systemwide monthly pass, which is good for 30 days after a rider buys it, now costs $30 but could inch toward $40, he said. The reduced fare, for which the elderly and physically disabled are eligible, could rise from $15 to $17 or $20.

No increases were proposed for the popular Strip routes, long considered a cash cow that subsidizes trips to many of the less popular destinations, although a 50-cent increase for those who use the $2.50 residential day passes on Las Vegas Boulevard is on the table, Cordell said.

According to statistics provided by the RTC, the Strip route accounted for almost 8.9 million of the more than 52.4 million people who boarded the CAT buses throughout the system between July 1, 2004, and June 30. Of those, almost a third paid full price for a single-ride fare.

The increases could offset additional service needed if the RTC is to keep pace with rapid growth in the Las Vegas Valley and could reduce what had become long "dwell times" for those waiting to board buses on the Strip, he said.

That's good news for Las Vegas resident Paul Turcotte, who braved triple-digit heat outside the South Strip Transfer Terminal on Gillespie Street on Thursday to catch a bus to work.

Turcotte said he regularly rides the bus and prefers to use the single-fare pass. He said he would not mind paying a little more if it made his ride a more reliable. Sitting on a bench and waving what appeared to be a bus schedule over his face, Turcotte criticized what he said were air conditioning systems that fail to keep up with the valley's excessive heat.

"If they improved the service, I wouldn't mind paying," he said. "I understand they have to have a certain amount to keep up with operating costs."

Changes that could come before the RTC include a shift to higher-tech cards meant to prevent fraud committed by riders illegally transferring between routes, Cordell said. Both proposals include a provision eliminating these transfers, requiring riders to buy separate passes for each route.

A final proposal is expected to come before the RTC in September, after six public meetings meant to gauge public opinion on the increase.

Cordell said the increase would help the RTC inch closure to costs in other metropolitan areas, where some charge up to $64 for a 30-day pass.

The RTC was one of few public transit organizations to not raise fares to compensate for lagging ridership after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he said.