ORLANDO, Fla. — Lynx is reviewing bus fares for the first time since 2008.
The review will explore all options and could recommend whether to raise or decrease fares or make no changes. The last fare hike was a quarter in 2009, raising the base fare to $2.
“We don't just raise fares. This is part of the process,” said Lynx spokesman Matt Friedman. “We don't want people to panic.”
The agency is required to conduct the review to determine what kind of impact the changes would have on riders. Lynx raised fares four times since 2002.
“By no means does this guarantee that there's going to be a fare increase,” Friedman said.
Customer fares make up about a quarter of the bus operator’s budget.
The review comes as Lynx struggles with ridership. The most recent numbers from 2015 show ridership dropped by about one million, or 2.5 percent, from the year before. Friedman blamed the declines on an improving economy and lower gas prices, both changes, he said, encourage people to drive their own cars.
Regardless of what happens, riders we spoke with say they have no choice but to pay the fare.
“I still can afford it, because I have to work,” said Orlendis Smith, of Orange County. “You can't get to work without the transportation.”
The review process could take about three months. The board of directors is expected to decide whether to pursue any of the options at its meeting in July.
Contact Michael Lopardi for more on this story.
Cox Media Group