ACE Trains Next Stop: Fare Increase

By Cheryl Winkelman, STAFF WRITER

Passengers on the Altamont Commuter Express soon may pay more to ride the train, but pay for only the rides they take.

A 7.5 percent increase in fares may go into effect as early as March but more likely in April or May, said Mike Steenburgh, marketing manager for the San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission, the agency that runs the ACE train.

That means that a passenger riding round trip from the Lathrop/ Manteca stop to San Jose would pay $19.35 instead of $18.

Also in April or May is the introduction of anew electronic ticketing system that means the end of monthly passes — something that will save passengers money because currently passengers are not reimbursed for rides they dont take as part of the monthly pass.

Under this system, you only pay for what you use, Steenburgh said.

The new system is a trip-based system. Passes can be bought for 10, 20 or 40 trips through a private, online account with a debit card. If riders need more trips, they can go online and add them.

One-way and round-trip tickets are still available. All tickets can also be purchased at each ACE train station.

Steenburgh said rail commissioners will meet today to discuss the proposal for ticket price increases.

A 30-day public comment period will follow, during which on- board passenger surveys will be conducted. Commissioners will also set the date for a public hearing next month. At that meeting, they could pass the fare hikes as proposed or amend them based on public comment.

Feedback about the rate hikes has already been received from ACEs passenger advisory council, Steenburgh said.

The council, which met two weeks ago, said it had anticipated increases in fares — something that hasnt happened since 2001 — but would prefer annual increases instead of increases every few years.

An increase in ticket prices couldnt be helped, Steenburgh said. The commission has tried cutting costs, including curtailing marketing efforts and freezing salaries, but the high price of fuel has hurt their efforts.

This fiscal year the commission expects to spend more than $900,000 on fuel, up from $500,000 just two years ago.

Weve done everything we can to contain our budget, Steenburgh said.

To contact Cheryl Winkelman, call (209) 832-6144 or cwinkelman@trivalleyherald.com.