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DART News Release

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.

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