Fuel costs push bus fares up

Transit board adopts $17.4 million budget

The board of the Charleston Area Regional Transit System has approved a $17.4 million draft budget for 2009 that would increase spending by $3 million and calls for raising bus fares to cope with rising fuel prices.

The 20 percent fare increase, under discussion since April, would increase the standard fare from $1.25 to $1.50. Other fares and the price of bus passes would also increase, mostly between 20 and 25 percent.

Express bus fares would rise from $2 to $2.50, for example.

At a public hearing in May, just one person objected to the proposed fare changes.

CARTA is among many transit systems that are increasing fares because of fuel prices. CARTA expects to spend nearly 90 percent more on fuel in 2009, amounting to a hit of more than $1 million.

On the good news side, ridership has been steadily and significantly increasing, CARTA's express bus service has been popular, and federal funding will rise sharply in 2009 because it is tied to the number of people served by the system.

The transit system's operating budget will increase by nearly 21 percent.

A third of the spending increase will go to higher fuel costs. Most of the rest will pay for additional buses and staff on the express bus routes and the Rivers Avenue bus route.

The CARTA board approved the budget unanimously Wednesday afternoon.

Reach David Slade at 937-5552 or dslade@postandcourier.com.