CityBus unveils 'Reimagine CityBus' plan with fare increases, service cuts and technology upgrades

CityBus presented a comprehensive service and fare proposal called “Reimagine CityBus” at the Tippecanoe County MPO Policy Board meeting on June 12, outlining higher fares, route restructuring and technology investments intended to close an estimated $3,000,000 budget shortfall.

Brian (CityBus representative) said the agency proposes increasing the regular one-way fixed-route fare from $1 to $2 and eliminating traditional transfers. The $2 fare would instead grant two hours of access to the system. Day passes would be $4 and a proposed 31-day pass would be $50, with the agency enabling riders to pay toward passes incrementally via new fare validators.

The proposal would charge youths ages 9–19 a $1 fare (half fare), maintain half fare for seniors, Medicare ID holders and riders with disabilities, and raise express-route fares to $5. CityBus would keep a $2 access (paratransit) fare for the six-month experiment period, although federal rules allow charging up to double the fixed-route fare for demand-response service. CityBus also proposed eliminating the semester pass in favor of a six-month pass, while noting feedback from Purdue and others could change that decision.

Why it matters: Brian said the agency faces a $3,000,000 structural shortfall and is balancing tradeoffs between frequency, coverage and cost. The plan refocuses service so “75% of our budget should be focused on frequent service, and 25% … for coverage,” he said, moving to a 20-minute frequency on core routes and 30-minute frequency on local routes. Core service hours would be reduced from midnight to 9 p.m.; local service would run roughly 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday service would be eliminated under the current proposal.

The plan includes service-map changes for Lafayette and West Lafayette; CityBus highlighted the McCormick Road route as its highest ridership corridor, carrying about 1,000,000 of the system’s reported 4,300,000 annual trips. CityBus expects more development to drive demand in some corridors.

On fares and technology, Brian described implementing onboard fare validators this summer that will accept a physical tap card or a smartphone app. The validators allow riders to build a day or monthly pass progressively (for example, paying the equivalent of a 31-day pass over multiple trips). "Not everybody who rides our buses is able to assemble the $4 all at once," he said, arguing the system would allow lower-income riders to accrue pass benefits as they ride.

CityBus also proposed a targeted change to express service that is run under contract for apartment partners. Because federal funding requires service be open to the public, CityBus would set a $5 express fare so subsidizing partners and fare-paying public riders share proportional costs.

The presentation included partnerships with Ivy Tech and the YMCA. CityBus said Ivy Tech continues to pay a fee that gives unlimited access to valid Ivy Tech ID holders. Chancellor Bowdy of Ivy Tech has agreed to allow a painted transfer area in a parking lot while feasibility work continues for a dedicated transfer center on or adjacent to Ivy Tech and YMCA property that could include childcare and explore affordable or mixed-income housing.

No formal Board vote on Reimagine CityBus was recorded at this meeting; the item was presented for committee information and public outreach. Brian urged riders and stakeholders to review maps and timetables on the CityBus website and to take the public survey to provide feedback.

The MPO and CityBus staff said they will continue outreach and evaluate public comments before any adoption of fare or service changes.