Passengers board an ART bus in the Pentagon City area. Kara Coleman
Arlington residents who ride the Arlington Transit (ART) buses will be paying a little bit more for transportation starting July 1.
The bus fare will increase by 25 cents per trip for adults and 10 cents per trip for teens, senior citizens, and people with disabilities.
"Our services have been increasing, and will continue to increase," said Steven Yaffe, transit services manager for ART and STAR. "On July 7, we're adding night service to 45. We're adding a new bus route this fall. We're still in a growth spurt." Yaffe said that the fare increase will help offset operating expenses.
The increase is the first for the ART bus line since 2010. Ridership has increased by 70 percent during that four-year time span, according to reports from the SmarTrip system which tracks when people board the buses.
Columbia Pike resident Mark Redding only uses the ART buses when traveling to shopping and dining areas, and he feels that 25 extra cents won't hurt his wallet. "For the quality of the service, and the convenience, it's not egregious," he said. "The buses are clean, the drivers are friendly and timely. It's acceptable to me."
For commuters who take the buses to and from work every day, the increase will be a little more noticeable. At $1.75 per trip, twice a day, that adds up to $17.50 in bus fares alone per person during a five-day work week.
"You'd like to think that public transportation is there for the common person, but $1.75 per trip is pricy," said Kate Dubrowski. Dubrowski uses the buses twice a day for commuting purposes, but her residence pays for her bus fares. "It's unfortunate. But the cost of transportation keeps going up, so I guess it has to."
Jay Fisette, chair of the Arlington County Board, said that the board approved the fare increase in April as part of the county's operating budget for fiscal year 2015. "We can't spend more than we have," Fisette said. "The Feds can, but locals cannot."
Fisette also said that each ride is subsidized by the county at an estimated $1.72 per ride.
STAR (Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents) Zone 1 trips will increase by 50 cents beginning July 1, going from $3 to $3.50 per trip. STAR Zone 2 and Zone 3 trips will remain the same. STAR is the local alternative for people with disabilities, and is the Arlington County equivalent of Metro Access.