At the beginning of the new year, some public transit fares will be increasing, marking phase two of a fare increase.
Jonah Muhammad rides the bus every day.
"This is the way I go to the doctor, back and forth," he said. "This is the way I go to work, back and forth. Without this, I'd be in a whole world of trouble."
He pays the economy price for tickets, which is available for seniors, people with disabilities, and low income riders. Right now, a single ride ticket will cost him $0.60, if he chooses to pay with his SunGo Card. For a 30 day pass, it'll cost him $18.
In 2018, he'll have to pay $0.75 for a single ride, whether paying with his SunGo Card or with cash. For the same 30 day pass, he'll pay $22.50.
Public Transit fares in #Tucson are going up come January — as a part of a two year fare increase. I’ll break down the numbers, and explain why — live at 5 @kgun9 pic.twitter.com/CUMa8T8QPI
— Max Darrow (@MaxDarrowTV) December 10, 2017
While the increase is minimal, Muhammad says it'll add up, and could be a burden for some riders.
"When you're on the bus, you're definitely not in a situation where you can afford a whole bunch," he said.
In a press release, Sun Tran says the money will support, "several value-added improvements such as the Frequent Transit Network and enhancements to bus stops and shelters."
"I've seen some improvement," Muhammad said. "But we could definitely use the revenue to make every bus stop a lot better."
Earl Piotrowski also rides the bus every day, at least three times. Moving ahead, he says he may have to budget a bit differently.
"Maybe I'm not going to have a soda twice a day," he said. "Maybe I'll just have it once a day, you know?"
He didn't know about the fare increase until speaking with KGUN9's Max Darrow on Sunday at the Ronstadt Center. He's not too worried about it, but says he would have liked a bit more of a heads up to mentally prepare.
"It would be nice to have more public awareness about it so everyone could prepare," he said.
A single full fare ride without a SunGo Card will still cost $1.75. With a SunGo Card, it'll cost $1.60.
For more information on the fare increase, click here.
