CAP Metro approves phased fare increase and expands reduced-fare eligibility

The CAP Metro board approved a resolution to implement fare increases in two phases and to expand and simplify the reduced-fare program. Presenting the item, CFO Kevin Conlin said the plan "is proposing to implement the fare increase in 2 phases" and that changes to the reduced-fare program would expand eligibility to "veterans and customers at or below the 150% federal poverty level."

Staff told the board it conducted three Title VI equity analyses—on the two-step fare increase, the reduced-fare expansion/EquiFair retirement, and the ticket vending machine retirements—and reported no disparate impact on minority or low-income customers. Conlin also summarized the agency's community engagement metrics, saying the outreach effort produced more than 3,500 direct contacts with community members and tens of thousands of digital impressions and website visits.

The board discussed the difficulty of the decision and acknowledged rising operating costs; a motion to approve the resolution passed unanimously. The resolution also included a plan to retain fare-capping on daily and monthly bases and to keep at least one ticket vending machine at rail stations.