In January 2008, Sacramento Regional Transit cut bus service 5 percent in order to balance the 2008 fiscal year budget. To balance the 2009 budget, RT eliminated the free rides for Paratransit-qualified riders, raised the price of monthly passes from $85 to $100, daily passes from $5 to $6 and single fares from $2 to $2.25. Now for 2010, RT is again standing in a budget hole looking for a way out. Monday evening, RT staff will present its proposals for balancing the coming year's budget and ... jlhughes Angela Murray 2009-05-30T06:40:38Z 2009-05-30T06:40:38Z

Thank you for the insightful and objective article, as well as the link. Based on my experience riding RT the past two years, I believe the fares are well worth the cost - I just wish there was another way to fundraise or balance the budget. When fares increase too much, RT loses riders, and the fares do not generate as much renvenue as might be otherwise anticipated, and the cycle of falling shor tof budget and raising rates continues.

Angela Murray 2009-05-30T06:40:38Z