North County Transit District Approves Fare Hikes

By Keith Rushing, North County Times, Escondido, Calif.

May 18–OCEANSIDE — The North County Transit District unanimously approved a fare increase for bus and train riders Thursday afternoon despite complaints from citizens that the hikes are too costly.

Regular base fares are to increase from $1.75 to $2. The rates for senior citizens and the disabled would rise from 75 cents to $1.

The transit district’s board of directors proposed the rate hikes because the rising cost of diesel fuel has deeply curtailed revenue generated by riders. The transit district’s projected operating budget for 2007 shows a $1.5 million budget shortfall if no rate hikes or service changes are made.

Now that the transit district’s board has approved the hikes in addition to The San Diego Association of Governments’ transportation committee, the matter moves to SANDAG’s board of directors for final approval. If approved, the fares would rise July 1.

The board is also considering reducing bus service and eliminating bus routes 316 and 419 because of low ridership. But after numerous citizens complained about the service cuts, board members directed SANDAG, which devised the changes, to revisit the proposal and look at ways to retain service.

During the final public hearing on the fare hikes at the transit district’s offices on Mission Avenue Thursday, Elizabeth Gerdes, of Oceanside, pleaded with the transit district’s board members to avoid raising fares.

“Please don’t raise the fares,” Gerdes said, as she sat near the podium in a motorized wheelchair and a hat covered with flowers. “We can’t afford it —- those of us who are seniors, disabled and living on fixed incomes.”

Gerdes, who said she was representing senior citizens and the disabled, asked board members to find another way to fund transit costs.

“This is not a good time for (fares) to be raised because everything is going up for everyone,” she said.

For Coaster train riders, one-way fares would increase 25 cents from $5.25 to $5.50 for trips from Oceanside to San Diego. But monthly passes would increase by about $10. Riders using monthly passes for trips from Oceanside to San Diego would see costs rise from $144 to $155.

Frank Pendleton complained that notices of Thursday’s public hearing printed in Spanish had the wrong date, informing the Spanish-speaking public that the hearing was to be held Sept. 18 instead of May 18. Pendleton said that mistake alone should have provided enough reason to delay any decision on fare hikes.

But Karen King, the transit district’s executive director, said the budget shortfall well exceeded $1 million and the district has devised numerous ways to reduce costs, including deferring projects and allowing positions to go unfilled along with the service changes.

Stefan Marks, the transit district’s manager of service development, said the changes in bus service are about “trying to get the maximum amount of good out of taxpayers’ money.”

But a number of people complained that their livelihood would be affected by the service cuts.

“I am very upset about this,” said Deanna Brenay. “This has come at the worst possible time.” Brenay said she didn’t know if she’d be able to keep her job if the 316 bus is discontinued.

Oceanside Public Works Director Peter Weiss told board members that discontinuing 316 bus service would likely be premature given complaints city officials have received.

Transit district board members asked Marks to have the Association of Government’s staff review the proposed discontinuation of routes 316 and 419. The service changes should come before the transit district’s board again at its June meeting. Any changes that are approved would go into effect Aug. 13.

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