THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 10, 1995 TAG: 9508100509
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
The basic fare for a local bus ride increased significantly Wednesday as Tidewater Regional Transit's commissioners tried to counter an estimated $1.2 million in federal cuts to the local transit agency.
Under the unanimously approved new fare structure, TRT's base fare increased from $1.10 to $1.50, one of the highest in the country. The increase will take effect Oct. 1.
It is expected that the majority of TRT's riders will pay more under the new fare system. Some riders, however, are predicted to save money because TRT is eliminating the 55-cent fee charged for traveling into different zones.
Under the simplified fare structure, there is no longer a zone system or surcharge. The $1.50 flat fare is all that commuters need to travel anywhere TRT goes.
About 60 percent of TRT riders travel in just one zone, while about 35 percent travel in two or more zones, according to TRT officials.
``I think it's just a matter of getting used to the fare structure as it is,'' said Chesapeake City Councilman John W. Butt, vice chairman of the TRT board.
TRT's discount ticket books will increase from $8 to $10. Despite the increase, the ticket books will still save commuters $5 over the single-fare price.
TRT is encouraging frequent riders to buy ticket books instead of paying on a ``cash only'' basis.
During the past months, TRT officials have cited the anticipated cuts in federal funds as the main reason for increasing their base fare. TRT is expecting a cut of about $1.2 million, or 44 percent, in federal operating assistance for fiscal year 1996.
TRT's leadership hopes to offset the cuts by increasing ridership and passenger revenue, two goals that have rarely been accomplished simultaneously in its history.
This is the fourth fare increase in the last five years for TRT, a public transit agency that has struggled to maintain even a base ridership. The increase also comes on the heels of one of the largest route cuts in the history of TRT, stranding an estimated 600 passengers dependent on TRT as their main source of travel throughout the region.
The $1.50 base fare places TRT among some of the most expensive public transit agencies in the country. TRT, however, is one of the few transit agencies to ask for such a large fare to operate a bus-only transit system. Many cities that charge a comparable fare offer train, bus and other services. However, such cities also have a dedicated source of funding, something TRT officials have long asked state government to create.
PENTRAN, the Peninsula's public transit agency, charges a $1 base fare and also operates with no dedicated source of funding.
There was little or no protest to the proposed fare increase. Two public hearings on the proposal drew a total of about 15 people, some of whom protested the increase, and some who supported it.
KEYWORDS: TRT FARE INCREASE by CNB