The Pace Board of Directors voted Nov. 11, to approve the agency's 2016 budget, which includes a modest increase in fares paid with cash as well as $7.6 million of new service for the coming year.
The $0.25 increase for fares paid with cash is not proposed as a revenue generator or a budget balancing measure; instead, it encourages the use of Ventra electronic fare payment for which the regular, base adult fare remains $1.75. Approximately 80 percent of fares on Pace are currently paid using Ventra cards, and Pace intends to discourage the use of cash to reduce the costs associated with processing and handling coins and bills and mirrors practices already in place at CTA and the Illinois Tollway. Although cash will continue to be accepted on buses, Ventra offers other money-saving features including the ability to buy passes and transfers, and offers the security of an account-based system to protect passes and balances in the event of a lost or stolen card. The cash fare increase is effective Jan. 1. No other fare increases are included in the budget.
The new service is a combination of a $6.6 million, full year expenditure on service improvements implemented during late 2015, including in the Aurora area and West Cook County, along with an additional $1 million for enhanced express service on Interstate 90 that is expected to launch in late 2016. Pace will outfit all new buses with Wi-Fi beginning in 2016.
"The cash fare increase will be Pace?s first fare increase since 2009 and we are confident that our customers are prepared to transition to Ventra, which will mean that they will continue to pay the same fare they pay today and benefit from Ventra's many convenient features," said Pace Executive Director T.J. Ross. "We will spend the remainder of the year engaging those remaining customers who pay with cash to help them transition to Ventra. It is easier than ever to get a Ventra Card and buy passes or add value to one?s account, especially with the upcoming launch of the Ventra App."
Pace's 2016 Suburban Service operating budget, comprised of fixed route bus, vanpool and non-ADA dial-a-ride services, is balanced and totals $227.97 million. The Regional ADA Paratransit Budget is set at $174.8 million and is also balanced, though the status of an $8.5 million grant for paratransit operations from the State of Illinois has not been determined due to the state's ongoing budget impasse. If the grant is not received and the paratransit program faces a budget shortfall, a fare increase may need to be proposed at a later date. The agency?s capital program totals $47.57 million and includes the purchase of 75 new fixed route buses, along with passenger amenities including bus shelters and bus stop signs.
Pace held 13 public hearings on the budget during the last two weeks of October. A total of 71 people attended these hearings, with 38 providing commentary. Four additional written comments were received.
In approving the 2016 budget, the Pace Board of Directors concluded the agency's budget process. The budget is forwarded to the RTA for inclusion in the regional transit budget comprised of the respective agency budgets of RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace. The RTA Board is expected to finalize the regional transit budget at its December meeting.
