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PTAC supports higher rider fare, reduced county subsidy and monthly cap for Connect rideshare program
Summary
PTAC recommended raising the rider portion of the county’s Connect rideshare program from $4 to $5, reducing the county subsidy from $16 to $15 per trip, and capping subsidized trips at 60 per account per month; staff said the program has grown faster than expected and changes aim to manage cost growth.
CRYSTAL LAKE, Ill. — McHenry County’s Public Transportation Advisory Committee voted Sept. 15 to recommend changes to the county’s Connect rideshare program: raise the rider fare to $5, reduce the county subsidy to $15 per trip, and cap subsidized rides at 60 trips per account per month.
A department staff member who presented the program’s data told the committee that Connect’s growth has outpaced initial expectations. “I budgeted a million dollars next year. I don't think it's gonna be enough,” the staff member said, summarizing staff projections and the program’s recent usage patterns. Staff noted Connect was intended to be a lower‑cost alternative for some MC Bridal trips, but many Connect users are new riders rather than replacements of existing paratransit users.
Under the recommendation PTAC approved, riders would pay $5 per Connect trip, the county would subsidize up to $15 per trip, and a monthly cap of 60 subsidized trips would apply to each account. The committee discussed alternative caps — such as 30 per month (the RTA/PACE RAP model), per‑day limits (e.g., two trips per day), or a daily cap multiplied by a monthly window — and staff said 60 per month was a compromise between limiting program cost growth and preserving options for riders who rely on Connect for regular travel.
Staff presented data illustrating a small group of “power users” who took dozens of Connect trips per month (one example month showed two accounts with more than 90 rides and another with 128 rides). Committee members were concerned about both equity for riders who use the program for work and medical needs and the program’s fiscal sustainability.
Implementation considerations: staff said changes require amending the county’s IGA with mobility partners and may not take effect Jan. 1, 2026, because of contract timelines; some program changes could arrive later in 2026. Staff also said the program is managed through partners’ technology (Uber/PACE), which enforces trip caps and subsidy limits once configured.
Ending: PTAC voted in favor of recommending the changes and directed staff to carry the proposal to the county transportation committee for the fall approval process. Staff said they will monitor heavy users and report back to PTAC with usage analytics after implementation.
