Media Relations Contact:
Morgan Lyons
November 27, 2002
DART Board approves first fare increase since 1995 DART's Board of Directors has approved a fare increase for rail and bus service that will go into effect March 3, 2003.
The vote followed an extensive community outreach process that included a public hearing and more than one dozen community informational briefings in recent weeks.
For its first fare increase since 1995, DART will raise its local fare from $1 to $1.25, and its local day pass from $2 to $2.50. DART also is raising the price of its discount employer EPass by 15% to 25%. DART funds about 10% of its operating budget from transit fares and approximately 80% with proceeds from a one-percent transit sales tax collected in its 13 member cities. The need for a moderate fare increase is attributed to declining sales tax returns following the economic recession and the rising cost of operating DART's fast-growing transit system, including new light rail service to North Dallas, Richardson, Plano and Garland. Major fare changes include:
| Fare Type |
Current Fare |
New Fare |
| Local Fare |
$1 |
$1.25 |
Premium Fare
(Express bus service, one way TRE service to Fort Worth) |
$2 |
$2.25 |
| Local Day Pass |
$2 |
$2.50 |
Premium Day Pass
(Round trip express bus service, round trip TRE service to Fort Worth) |
$4 |
$4.50 |
| Monthly Local Pass |
$30 |
$40 |
| Monthly Premium Pass |
$60 |
$70 |
| Reduced Monthly Pass |
$10 |
$15 |
| Paratransit Fare |
$2 |
$2.50 |
The reduced fare for seniors, non-paratransit disabled customers, high school students with valid ID and children (elementary through junior high) will remain 50 cents.
Other changes include increasing the cost of the 10-ride paratransit coupon book from $20 to $25 and increasing the cost of a daily convention pass from $2 to $2.50.
DART also plans to introduce a high school semester program that will provide students with discounted fares and a 7-day pass that allows customers to purchase a week's worth of service at a time.-- 30 --
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