Transit fare hikes in the works

As you may already know, a divided Lodi City Council late last month voted to cut bus services because of decreased state funding. But council members said they’d like to see if some of the services, such as Sunday dial-a-ride, can be restored through fare increases.

On Wednesday, the city council will have its first discussion about fare increases and what services could be restored. Most services could see increases of varying degrees. The proposal from city staff so far includes:

-Dial-a-ride service for seniors and people with disabilities would increase from $1.50 to $2.

-Fixed route services for the general public would increase from $1 to $1.25, and from 50 cents to 65 cents for seniors and people with disabilities.

Those increases and others could help bring back hours that were cut from fixed route and dial-a-ride services, city officials propose, including Sunday dial-a-ride service (proposed to run 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.).

Click here to read the city staff report for more details. (Click on agenda item J-03, or skip to page 162 of the pdf.)

To be clear, the city is NOT voting on a fare increase Wednesday. City Council members will decide whether to hold a later public hearing, where the public can comment and where a decision will be made.