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Jun 24, 2008 8:43 am US/Central
Bus Ridership Up, Fare Hike Could Soon Follow
(WCCO)
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Depending on the type of service, fares could rise to $1.75, $2.25 or $3 per use. (File)
Metro Transit
Drivers in the Twin Cities are paying an average of $3.90 a gallon to fill up. That means someone driving a Nissan Maxima will spend around $5 each day commuting from Burnsville to Minneapolis and back, and that doesn't include parking.
If you recently decided to trade in your car for a bus pass, then you may have noticed that the buses are starting to fill up.
"We just seem to find more and more people willing to use transit for more and more different kinds of trips. We find our local routes are busy, our express routes are busy," said Beverley Miller of the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority.
Many of the 103 Park and Rides located across the Twin Cities have doubled their ridership since last summer. Plymouth and Maple Grove Park and Rides are near capacity. It's the same story on the other side of the metro.
At the Burnsville Park and Ride, located at Highway 13 and Nicollet Avenue, they are maxed out. There are 11 more parking spaces being used than they have available. That has forced some people to make up their own parking spot, and once they get on the bus they struggle to find a seat.
"Lately coming back out of downtown, bus after bus you're standing. And that's a bummer," said bus rider Randy Otten.
The Burnsville Transit Center wants to add a third level to their parking ramp, but so far they don't have the money to do it. In the meantime, the riders keep on coming leaving them to wonder just how full they can get.
The Burnsville Transit Center currently runs 100 buses a day. They think they could easily add 20 more. They point to congestion on Twin Cities roads as another reason people are choosing to ride the bus
Officials said they have thought about increasing bus fares. Currently, riders pay $2.75 for express rush hour fare and $2.00 for local rush hour fare.
Depending on the type of service, fares could rise to $1.75, $2.25 or $3 per use. The proposal would increase fares by 25 cents starting Oct. 1, with a further increase possible in 2009.
The proposal would extend the morning rush-hour fare by a half hour, starting at 5:30 a.m. instead of 6 a.m. The Hiawatha light-rail line would also be included in the proposed fare hike.
The proposal will be voted on by the Metropolitan Council on Wednesday. If approved, it faces public hearings and meetings in July.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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