The T sets new vanpool fares to meet rising costs and increased demand
Increase per rider per workday to range from 66 cents up to $1.66 depending on daily miles
FORT WORTH (September 19, 2008) – The board of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T) voted last night to implement new vanpool fares, effective October 1, due to the increased costs of fuel and operation of its vanpool program.
Vanpool passengers do not pay for fuel. The T pays for the fuel used by the vanpools, which cost $900,000 from October 2007 through September 2008.
The new fares represent an increase per workday ranging from 66 cents up to $1.66, depending upon a passenger’s daily roundtrip miles from pick up to job location. The new fares are an increase of 20 percent from current rates across all ten mileage/fare categories. For the lowest mileage category of 0 to 45 daily miles, the monthly fare will increase by $14, from $71 to $85 or 66 cents more per workday and for the longest distance of 166 to 190 miles, the monthly fare goes up $35 from $176 to $211 or $1.66 more per workday.
Since April 2007, the number of vanpools in The T’s program has increased from 144 to 176 and there are 10 additional vans scheduled to go into service during fiscal year 2009. Forty-seven new vanpool groups are on the waiting list for a van. The T has applied for 40 additional vanpools through matching government grants that it hopes to receive over a three-year period.
The fastest growing of The T’s transit services, vanpool ridership has experienced double-digit increases for most of the year reaching a record of 35% more riders in July 2008 over July 2007.
“The T’s current vanpool fares cover less than half of their fuel and operation costs,” explained T President Dick Ruddell.
“We appreciate our vanpool riders and believe that the service is a great value as a cost-effective way to commute,” said Ruddell, “but to keep The T’s program financially sound, we must recover these rising costs.”
The T held a public hearing at the board meeting and sent letters in August to vanpool captains asking for input from riders via letter, email, phone or hearing. The T received 35 comments and one person spoke at the public hearing in support of the increase.
