TriMet fare increase inevitable with rising gas prices

Fares to increase by 25 cents

The Estacada News, Jul 2, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009

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A large fare increase from TriMet won’t be popular at a time when a growing number of people are depending on buses and light-rail trains for their daily transportation. But given the financial pressures at work on the transit agency, TriMet directors have little choice but to raise rates substantially for riders.

TriMet board members approved the fare increase Wednesday morning, which includes 20 cents to cover the rising cost of fuel and a usual 5-cent boost to cover inflation. Before the increase, adult tickets cost $1.75 for two zones and $2.05 for all zones.

This increase is driven by rising diesel costs, which have soared from a budgeted $2.31 a gallon earlier in the 2007-08 fiscal year to nearly $4 a gallon today.

While the fare hikes may foster grumbling among TriMet riders, it is important to remember that the increases are necessary not only to offset rising costs, but also to help maintain equity among the various parties that fund TriMet’s operations.

Riders pay only about 20 percent of the cost of keeping TriMet running, with a much larger share coming from local employers who fund the agency through a mandatory payroll tax. And in the past few years, the percentage of TriMet revenue coming from the fare box actually has been dropping.

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