A San Diego Trolley at a station. Adult one-way fares rose to $3 on Oct. 1. Photo: DJTechYT, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Adult one-way fares on most MTS and North County Transit District buses, trolleys and trains rose from $2.50 to $3 on Oct. 1, the first of two increases the agencies approved to help cover a growing operating shortfall. The official fare-change FAQ published by MTS lists the new one-way prices as $3 for adults and $1.50 for riders who qualify for the senior, disabled and Medicare fare, with regional monthly passes at $85 for adults and $28 for reduced-fare riders. Premium regional monthly passes are higher. COASTER, which used to have a three-zone structure, moved to a flat $6.50 one-way adult fare and a $185 monthly pass. A second increase is already scheduled for Oct. 1, 2027, when the adult one-way fare would rise to $3.25 and the adult monthly pass to $95, the FAQ says. Youth 18 and under still ride free with a Youth PRONTO account or card.
City Times, San Diego City College’s student paper, reported Nov. 3 that MTS is facing a funding gap of more than $500 million over the next four years, or more than $120 million a year. The paper said MTS and NCTD worked with SANDAG on a countywide fare study and held public forums last spring. At one of those forums, SANDAG associate regional planner Tim Garrett said the study found that, across income levels, “there was a preference for maintaining service levels, even if the fare price has to go up,” including keeping discounted fares for seniors, disabled riders, Medicare recipients and youth.
Students who rely on the bus and trolley told City Times the 50-cent bump is noticeable. English major Lucia Medina, who uses a disabled pass, said, “It’s now up a few dollars, you know, a whole five dollars.” Social work major Adriana Aguirre, who rides to school and work, said, “Over time it adds up.” The official FAQ also introduced PRONTO LIFE on Oct. 1, a reduced-fare program for riders enrolled in CalFresh, Medi-Cal or CalWORKs, and it kept the two-hour transfer window and the holiday “friends ride free” days.
The agencies have said the higher fares are meant to protect service, not expand it. For riders, the practical change is already on the fare chart: $3 a boarding for most adult trips, $1.50 for reduced-fare riders, free rides for youth with PRONTO, and another increase on the calendar a year from now.
