Digital Subscription

tool name

close
tool goes here

WTA seeks comments on new fare options

Ralph Schwartz; THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
Published: March 3, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. PST
0 comments

Whatcom Transportation Authority is taking public comment on proposed changes to how it collects fares. No fare increase is planned.

The transit agency proposes adding a $3 day pass and a 10-ride ticket for $9. WTA would eliminate tokens and free-ride coupons, with free day passes made available to low-income riders.

Comments must be received by 3 p.m. March 20. Submit comments via email to comment@ridewta.com, call 360-715-4500 and leave a message, or write to Rick Nicholson, director of service development, 4111 Bakerview Spur Road, Bellingham, WA 98226.

People can direct questions to Nicholson at 360-738-4585 or rickn@ridewta.com.

The WTA board of directors will hold a public hearing on the fare options at 8 a.m. Thursday, March 21, at the County Courthouse, 311 Grand Ave., Bellingham.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here

We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.

SPORTS
SOUTH SOUND
BLOGS
CONTESTS

Similar stories

  • WTA seeks comments on new fare options

    Whatcom Transportation Authority is taking public comment on proposed changes to how it collects fares. No fare increase is planned.

    The transit agency proposes adding a $3 day pass and a 10-ride ticket for $9. WTA would eliminate tokens and free-ride coupons, with free day passes made available to low-income riders.

    Comments must be received by 3 p.m. March 20. Submit comments via email to comment@ridewta.com, call 360-715-4500 and leave a message, or write to Rick Nicholson, director of service development, 4111 Bakerview Spur Road, Bellingham, WA 98226.

  • WTA board to consider new ways to pay fares

    New ways to pay Whatcom Transportation Authority fares could be approved at a Thursday, April 18, meeting of the agency's board of directors.

    The base fare would remain $1 per ride. Tokens and free-ride coupons would be replaced by a $3 day pass and an 11-ride ticket for $10. WTA staff decided over the past month to offer an 11-ride ticket instead of a 10-ride ticket.

    The day pass could be purchased from bus drivers.

  • WTA to take comment on new fare options; no fare increase planned

    Whatcom Transportation Authority will hold a public hearing to get input on proposed changes to the ways it collects fares.

    New fare boxes will be installed this year with new payment options, if the project stays on schedule. WTA staff recommends instituting a $3 day pass and a 10-ride ticket for $9, while eliminating tokens and free-ride coupons. Social-service agencies would distribute free day passes to low-income riders.

    There is no proposal to change the $1 per trip fare this year.

  • Social service agencies see flaws in WTA fare proposal

    Social service agencies say Whatcom Transportation Authority's proposal to eliminate some fare options in favor of new ones would make transit for people in need too inconvenient or expensive.

    Between now and the next meeting of the WTA Board of Directors, the transit agency's staff will work to resolve problems these groups said would arise from replacing tokens with day passes. The board is scheduled to vote on the fare proposal on April 18.

    The concerns came to light at a public hearing before the WTA board on Thursday, March 21.

  • WTA to offer new payment options; agency backs away from fare increase

    Whatcom Transportation Authority plans to offer new ways to pay for a bus trip without increasing fares.

    At its next meeting, on Thursday, Feb. 21, the agency's Board of Directors is expected to schedule a public hearing for March 21, to hear input on payment options. Agency staff, working on the changeover for the past four months, has come up with a recommendation: Add a $3 one-day pass and a $9 10-ride ticket, and eliminate the tokens and the free-ride coupon.

    To replace 50,000 free coupons per year for low-income riders, social-service organizations could receive 30,000 free day passes, according to a WTA memo.