For the first time in more than a decade, Citilink, Fort Wayne’s public transportation service, has proposed raising prices anywhere from 17 to 80% across the board to combat what it called "forecasted fiscal challenges."
That comes out to about $0.25 to $0.75 more per fixed route ticket, $5 to $9 for 31-day passes and up to $2 for access plus single ride tickets.
The proposed rate increases can be found in the proposal online.
The proposal also includes replacing outdated fareboxes, which handle ticket payments, with a new automated fare validation system. Citilink said the fareboxes breakdown and require repair which takes the whole bus out of service.
In a statement, Citilink said the fareboxes “will soon be unrepairable. We've decided to upgrade our system by working with Token Transit. New validators will be installed next to the old fareboxes. These validators will allow riders to use various forms of payment, both digital and physical. The old fareboxes will still be used, but only for cash payments. All other tickets, whether mobile or paper, will be scanned by the new validators. Riders will also be able to pay with mobile tickets, smart cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and eventually credit or debit cards with tap-to-pay.”
The public transportation company said that transition will cut down on maintenance costs and make rides more efficient through automation.
Citilink announced it is hosting two public input sessions for these proposals from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Aug. 27 at the Downtown Branch of the Allen County Public Library.
Officials plan to share the information from the public input sessions in a public hearing from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sept. 3 also at the Downtown Branch of the Allen County Public Library.
