Battle Creek Transit fare increases begin Friday. What passengers need to know

Battle Creek Transit passengers will pay more for the service beginning Friday as the agency enacts its first fare increases in 19 years.

The cost of a single ride will climb 50 cents to $1.75, among other changes approved by the Battle Creek City Commission May 3.

The fare increases are projected to generate an additional $141,757 in revenue each year, helping offset the amount the city has to put forth to support transit operations amid rising operational costs, according to Battle Creek Transit Director Mallory Avis.

The last single-ride fare increase was in 2003, from $1 to $1.25.

“Limited transportation alternatives leave many neighbors without other options,” Avis said in a statement. “We need to make sure we can continue operating at the current levels, and also want to improve Transit services for our riders. We think this is the best solution to meet those needs.”

The fare increases that take effect Friday are as follows:

Single bus ride – $1.25 to $1.75

Reduced fare bus ride – 60 to 85 cents

Multiple-ride, fixed-route bus passes – $6 to $40 to $8 to $56

Tele-Transit ADA and reduced fare – $2 to $3

Bus transfers will remain free, and bus rides for children under 42 inches tall will also remain free, Avis said. TeleTransit single rides and multiple-ride passes for regular-rate passengers will remain the same as the current costs; reduced-rate passengers will see an increase.

Battle Creek Transit has operated at a deficit and has been supported by the city's general fund for years.

The department's 2022 budget is nearly $5 million, including about $2 million in federal funds and $1.7 million in state funds. The remaining balance is funded through a combination of advertising, passenger fares and the city's general fund, Avis said.

"The city’s general fund is essentially the only other source of revenue to fill the gap," she said. "Costs have grown at a faster rate than federal and state grant revenues."

The fare increases have drawn a mixed reaction from city residents. While some say they understand the need for the increase as costs continue to rise elsewhere, others have challenged the city to find other ways to fill the budget gap.

"I feel you're taking the easy way out," Battle Creek resident Jerry Steiner told commissioners during a public hearing on the fare increases on April 19. "In times like this, we don't try to find the easy way out, we try to find real solutions. I believe that you nine (commissioners) can find a solution to this and, in the interim, not raise the bus fare, but lower the bus fare."

The fare increases will ultimately reduce the amount the city has to allocate from the general fund toward transit operations, and when compared with service reductions, Avis believes the fare increases will have a less negative impact for riders.

"I am thankful that the commission understood the necessity of this increase and the negative impact that an alternative, like a reduction in services due to budget constraints, would have on their constituents," she said.

Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-501-5661. Follow him on Twitter: G_SteeleBC

This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Battle Creek Transit fare increases take effect Friday. What you need to know