TARC Considers Fare Increase

The Transit Authority of River City, better known as TARC, is debating possible fare increases for its bus riders.The increases would be either 10 or 25 cents per ride, depending on what services TARC decides to cut.    Officials are already planning to eliminate a few routes that serve 100 or fewer riders each day, as well as the so-called Night Owl route for late-shift workers, which TARC says attracts a double-digit ridership.TARC Director of Marketing Nina Walfoort says the changes are a result of the national economy and the state budget.“Our budget came up $4 million short. Because gas prices accounted for about $2 million and we had rising health care costs and we had the state," she says. "Last biennium the state gave us close to $2 million. We didn’t get anything in the state budget this year.”Walfoort says fare increases would not effect trolley or TARC3 services.   The TARC board will hold public forums before deciding on a final budget in June.