Connect-A-Ride Fares Increase Monday

Taking the bus today? You may want to bring extra change.

Effective today, the new base fare for Connect-A-Ride has increased from $1.50 to $1.75, according to Central Maryland Regional Transit.

“We need to offset a $250,122 deficit for fiscal year 2013,” Beverly Walenga, interim chief executive officer of the Central Maryland Regional Transit Corporation (CMRT), said in a statement.

“With increasing costs and static funding provided to our service, the difficult decision to raise fares as one of several ways implemented to make up the deficit," Walenga said.

Additionally, other rates changed after a June 14 hearing in which, according to a statement released by CMRT, “not a single member of the community attended to voice their concerns.”

The new rates:

• Base Fare = $1.75
• Senior/Disabled Fare = $ .85
• Monthly Pass = $96.50
• Monthly Pass – Senior/Disabled = $48.25
• 10-Ride Pass = $15.75
• 10-Ride Pass (Senior/Disabled) = $7.85

“We understand that these tough times call for families to tighten their purse strings,” Janet Owens, chair of the CMRT Board of Directors, said in a statement. “CMRT also has to contain costs and find new revenue sources to maintain the service our customers know and rely upon.”