Local transit fares will jump by 20% on Thursday — the first significant increase in 17 years, and the first hike of any kind in seven years.

Local officials say higher fares are needed to help cover rising costs and keep budgets balanced, but the hikes put the San Diego region at a higher price point than some comparable transit agencies across the nation.

The hikes affect all rail and bus service provided by the Metropolitan Transit System and the North County Transit District. But both agencies also approved a fare freeze for anyone enrolled in CalFresh, CalWORKS or Medi-Cal.

“No one should pretend fare increases are painless,” San Diego Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera said earlier this month when the fare freeze program was rolled out.

On local buses, the San Diego Trolley and the Sprinter, the cost of a monthly pass will jump from $72 to $85 on Thursday and then to $95 in fall 2027 — up nearly 31%. The price of passes hasn’t risen since 2009.

One-way fares will rise from $2.50 to $3 on Thursday and then to $3.25 in fall 2027. That will be a cumulative 30% hike, far steeper than the last increase in 2019 from $2.25 to $2.50.

NCTD is also eliminating zoned fares on the Coaster commuter rail line. Those fares now charge passengers more for longer trips. Instead, all riders — no matter how far they’re traveling — will start paying the same one-way fare, which will rise from $6.50 to $7 in fall 2027.

In addition, a special monthly pass that can be used only on Sprinter trains and Breeze buses in North County will rise in price from $59 to $65 this fall and to $70 in fall 2027.

Other transit systems charge less or the same for one-way fares and for most types of passes.

One-way fares are currently $3 in Dallas and San Francisco, $2.80 in Portland, Ore., $2.75 in Denver and $2.50 in Sacramento and Salt Lake City.

For both MTS and NCTD, the discounts for seniors, disabled passengers and people on Medicare will be phased in. One-way fares will climb from $1.25 to $1.50 Thursday and will not rise in 2027. Monthly passes will rise from $23 to $28 Thursday and then to $30 in fall 2027.

The fare hikes, which were finalized in July by the San Diego Association of Governments, will help both transit agencies close large budget deficits they face in coming years.

But the fare freeze program is projected to shrink the budget relief both agencies expected from the hikes.

MTS is projected to pull in $4.6 million a year in new revenue from the hikes — far less than the $14 million projected before the freezes were approved. For NCTD, the difference is $600,000 versus $1.22 million.

The actual budget relief will depend on how many people end up applying for the freeze program, which is being called Pronto Life. Just over 1,000 had signed up for it on Monday, fewer than initially expected.

Riders can apply at Ridepronto.com, where they are asked to complete a reduced-fare application and upload documentation verifying enrollment in an eligible assistance program.

For those who prefer to apply in person, applications can be completed at the MTS Transit Store — downtown at 12th and Imperial avenues — and NCTD customer service locations.

County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe said Pronto Life will make a big difference for some.

“Access to affordable transportation can be a lifeline for people who rely on our public transportation system every day,” she said. “Pronto Life will help people already stretching every dollar afford to get to work, the grocery store and other places they need to go.”

Some critics have said that transit agency surveys finding significant support for the fare hike forced riders into a false choice.

The surveys asked riders if they would prefer a fare hike or service cuts. Critics said that anyone needing transit to get to work would certainly choose a fare hike over a service cut.

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