After hearing from several residents, the Jefferson City Council voted against a proposed transit fare increase.
At the council meeting Monday, 11 people spoke at a public hearing on a proposal that sought to increase regular transit fares from $1 to $1.50. The same proposal would have increased the fare for HandiWheels from $2 to $3 and raised reduced fare, which is offered for those over the age of 60, people with disabilities and Medicare cardholders, from 50 cents to 75 cents.
That proposal was changed by two motions from 5th Ward Councilman Larry Henry and 3rd Ward Councilman Ken Hussey to lower the proposed increase to $1.25 for regular routes and $2.50 for HandiWheels.
The council ultimately did not increase the fares, with the bill failing to pass by a vote of 6-3. First Ward Councilman Jim Branch, 2nd Ward Councilman Rick Mihalevich and 4th Ward Councilman Glen Costales were the only council members to support the amended bill. First Ward Councilman Rick Prather was not present at Monday's meeting.
Several council members, as well as the majority of those speaking during the public hearing, noted that the proposed increase would create a burden for transit riders on a fixed income and generate a very insignificant amount of revenue for the city budget.
"I wonder why we're raising it at all because it is so insignificant," said 3rd Ward Councilman Bob Scrivner. "It's a token at best."
The city had estimated the increase would have generated about $30,000 in revenue, which was already in the 2015 budget. Transit Director Mark Mehmert said the department likely will need a supplemental appropriation from the council to make up that now missing revenue.
Several people who spoke in the public hearing said they would have hoped for some type of service expansion to go along with a proposed fare increase. Glover Brown said many are unable to get to or from work because of the hours transit operates. (The city's transit system operates from 6:40 a.m.-5:45 p.m. Monday through Friday.)
"There's a whole subculture of ridership that's not being addressed," Brown said.
Brown suggested the city's Public Transit Advisory Committee look at the feasibility of extending hours and what the ridership would be in that circumstance.
The increase had been recommended by the city's Public Transit Advisory Committee, though several members of that committee also had commented the increase would create a burden for many transit riders.
Part of the transit committee's recommendation also was to consider instituting a one-day pass to help combat the negative effects of a fare increase.
Public Works Director Matt Morasch has previously said he and Mehmert have discussed some ideas on how to start such a program, looking at it as a pilot program that can be run for several months and then evaluated to see if it should continue.
Mehmert said after the increase was denied, he would ask the Public Transit Advisory Committee to meet again and start working on other solutions and issues facing the transit system.