The following changes are under consideration and, if approved, are scheduled to go into effect in January 2012. TANK is currently taking public comment.
Proposed Fare Increases:
Express Fare from $1.75 (current) to $2.00
Transfer Fee from Free (current) to 25¢ fee
RAMP Fare from $1.75 (current) to $2.50
DayTripper Fare from $3.25 (current) to $4.00
When going through TANK’s Fiscal Year 2012 budget process, there was a general interest from Fiscal Court members from Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties for TANK to generate more revenue through passenger fares. Additionally, TANK is trying to keep up with the ever increasing costs to provide the services that we offer. Over the last two months, TANK has gone through a process to determine which fares we would recommend increasing. At this time, TANK is NOT recommending an increase in the base local bus fare of $1.50. However, we are recommending several other increases which will bring our rates more in-line with comparable service at transit agencies of similar size and type.
Proposed changes in detail:
Transfer Fee= 25¢
When a passenger boards the bus and pays their fare, they must indicate to the driver AT THAT TIME if they wish to obtain a transfer. In order to receive a transfer, the passenger must drop an additional 25¢ into the farebox.
Passengers must request a transfer when boarding the bus and paying fare…transfers will NOT be issued after the passenger has already paid. No exceptions.
Transfers will not be accepted for travel on the same route that it was issued from or to make roundtrips.
Express Fare
When comparing TANK’s fare to other transit agencies, TANK’s $1.75 express fare is lower than the peer median of $2.10. Express service is a premium service that provides, on average, longer passenger trips and much faster travel times. Recommendation: Increase fare to $2.00 and increase associated passes accordingly.
RAMP Fare
RAMP fare of $1.75 is lower than the peer median of $2.50. The cost to provide RAMP, which is a door to door service, is extremely expensive – more than $30 per trip. This is more than five times what it costs to provide a fixed-route bus trip. This service has experienced an increase in demand due to demographic and economic shifts in Northern Kentucky. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) set guidelines for transit agencies to follow when it comes to fare and implementation of ADA RAMP service. Our recommendation is to increase the RAMP fare from $1.75 to $2.50 and to increase associated passes accordingly. The new fare still is well within the fare limits set by the FTA and ADA.
DayTripper
TANK’s DayTripper service is not a required service. It was added several years ago to help meet the need for midday transportation for senior citizens. This service is door to door (much like RAMP) and is very expensive to provide (more than $30 a trip). The current DayTripper fare is $3.25 and service is only available during mid-day, non-peak times. This service is not mandated by FTA or ADA and, in fact, most transit agencies do not offer this type of service.
We propose to Increase the DayTripper fare from $3.25 to $4.00, which still represents a significant cost savings and community benefit relative to private options for door-to-door transportation service.
TANK will hold three Public Meetings/Hearings to receive public comment on the proposed fare increases. The meetings are scheduled:
Wednesday, October 5th
4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Florence City Building
Room A
Ewing Blvd.
Florence, KY 40142
Thursday, October6th
4 p.m. to 6p.m.
Gateway Community and Technical College Urban Center –Room 103
525 Scott Blvd
Covington, KY 41011
Wednesday, October 12th
5:30 p.m.
Public Hearing/TANK Board Meeting
3375 Madison Pike
Ft. Wright, KY 41017
Comments can also be submitted by:
Phone Hotline: 859-814-2138