San Diego transit officials say the possibility of raising fares for the first time in 16 years is supported by a new rider survey and a comparison study of fares at similar transit agencies. The survey of 5,700 riders of the San Diego Trolley, Metropolitan Transit System buses and other local mass transit found that riders of every income level would support a fare hike over service cuts. The comparison study of six other transit systems found that MTS was at the low end of the scale for two types of fares that generate the most revenue: adult one-way fares and adult monthly passes. The new data comes as MTS officials prepare to reveal a variety of possible fare-increase scenarios at community forums scheduled for February and March. Fare increases, which might happen as soon as next summer, could also affect the Sprinter light-rail line in North County and buses operated by the North County Transit District. They’re are part of a multi-pronged MTS effort to close looming annual budget deficits of more than $100 million projected for coming years. The agency is also planning to make minor cuts to bus and trolley service, raid funds intended for capital projects to pay routine operating expenses, and place a half-cent sales tax increase on the November 2028 ballot. Related Articles Coronado ferry’s new, quieter electric boats are one step closer to reality Local politicians demand answers on lengthy, unexpected freeway shutdowns SANDAG has a new transportation plan. Now it must convince voters to pay for it. ‘We have left the era behind of very big ideas’: SANDAG trades trains for buses in $125B transit vision County approves more commercial flights for Carlsbad airport Critics note that a fare increase somewhere between 10% and 20% would only raise somewhere around $10 million to $15 million per year — a far smaller figure than the budget deficits MTS faces. Fares make up about 20% of overall MTS revenue, or about $90 million per year. Critics of the possible fare hike said Thursday that a hike could also jeopardize recent ridership growth. San Diego City Councilmember Vivian Moreno, a member of the MTS board, told board colleagues that she thinks a fare hike could be a big mistake. “Fares don’t just impact revenue, they directly impact who can access transit, how often people ride and whether we grow or lose ridership,” Moreno said. “Raising fares risks undermining our broader goal of increasing ridership.” Annual ridership on Metropolitan Transportation System buses and trolleys rose more than 7% to 81.2 million during the fiscal year that ended in June — off only 4.2 million from the pre-pandemic ridership of 85.4 million. Buses and trolleys have also begun to attract more riders who also drive and aren’t transit-dependent. Trips by such people, which MTS calls leisure rides, jumped by 44% in fiscal 2025 compared to fiscal 2024. “If higher fares lead to lower ridership, we could actually lose revenue while also losing the public’s trust,” Moreno said. “Once riders leave the system, it’s much harder and more expensive to bring them back.” Two other MTS board members — county Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe and San Diego City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn — criticized the possible fare hikes in September for similar reasons. While the rider survey showed what could be called support for a fare hike over service cuts, it also found that riders support establishing a new subsidy for low-income riders and phasing in any fare hike. In addition, support for a fare hike over service cuts was only 52% among the lowest-income demographic, people making less than $15,000 per year. Among the highest-income riders surveyed — people making $150,000 a year or more — support for a fare hike over service cuts rose to 84%. The comparison study also found that the one-way MTS bus and trolley fare of $2.50 was tied for the lowest among the six other agencies surveyed. One-way fares are also $2.50 in Sacramento and Salt Lake City, while they’re higher in Denver at $2.75, Portland at $2.80 and both Dallas and San Francisco at $3. The MTS rate of $72 for an adult monthly pass is lower than all the other agencies, which range from $85 in Salt Lake City to $126 in Dallas. But MTS is in the middle of the pack on adult all-day passes at $6. That’s lower than Sacramento at $7 and tied with Dallas at $6 but higher than the other cities, where they range from $5 to $5.70. MTS officials said in September that the $72 adult pass rate should have risen to $110 if it had been adjusted for inflation since the last increase back in 2009. One-way fares haven’t been raised since 2008. The last time a fare hike was considered was in 2020, but local leaders ended up going in the opposite direction. To encourage more transit use, they instituted free transfers from buses to trolleys and within the bus and trolley systems. The proposed fare hike would need to be approved, probably this spring, by the boards of MTS and the North County Transit District. If that happens, final approval could then come from the county’s regional planning agency, the San Diego Association of Governments. MTS officials said a hike could kick in as early as July but suggested sometime in the fall was more likely. ...read more read less