On Jan. 1, it’s going to cost more to ride the Metro busses between Westbrook and Portland.
At a meeting on Nov. 17, the Metro board of directors voted unanimously in favor of a 25 percent fare increase, the first fare increase in 12 years. Metro officials said rising fuel costs were the primary factor behind the increase.
The fare hike means the regular fare will jump from $1 to $1.25. The cost of a monthly pass will go from $30 to $37.50. A 10-ticket ride will cost $11. The fare for seniors and handicapped will go to 60 cents. The cost of a senior 10-ticket ride will be $5.50, and the youth fare will be $1. Any tickets or passes purchased before the end of the year will be honored even after the new fares are in place.
The only fare not affected by the increases is the fare for USM students. That fare will remain at 50 cents, though there are plans to increase it for the start of the 2006-2007 academic year.
The Metro board held a series of public meetings in Westbrook and Portland to discuss the fare increase before the vote. Jeff Monroe, chairman of the Metro board, said the public was generally supportive of the increase.
“The board certainly was fully aware of the impacts on those who could least afford the increase,” he said. “We did everything we could to avoid an increase, but the cost of fuel pushed us against the wall.”
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