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GoJo proposes $2 adult fare, fare-capping and permanent ASU route; public notice planned
Summary
GoJo staff proposed raising the standard adult fare to $2 while introducing account-based fare capping and tap-to-pay, and asked to make a successful Arkansas State University pilot route permanent. Staff will take the changes to a federally required public comment period before any final action.
Lee, a GoJo representative, told the Public Services Committee that staff will ask to open a public-notice period for several transit changes, including a proposed increase in the standard adult fare from $1.25 to $2 and a move to an account-based fare-capping system and tap-to-pay technology. "What fair capping is going to do is that is going to allow the consumer to get a trackable card ... They can put 2 or $3 on it at a time," Lee said, explaining the program will automatically cap daily, weekly and monthly spending so frequent riders stop being charged after the cap is reached.
The proposal would also convert successful ASU pilot routes into permanent service and add targeted expansions and alignments into areas such as Hilltop and Greensboro Village. Lee said staff plan a special-event route for Craighead Forest Park and route adjustments to reach Matthews/Loberg/Nettleton and additional residential and service locations. "We have been performing some pilot routes for Arkansas State University. That has been a success," Lee said, urging the committee to allow the items to go to public notice.
Why it matters: staff say fare capping will reduce upfront cost barriers for frequent riders and that tap-to-pay is a prerequisite for the capping system. Chair noted the system's fare revenue is small relative to the transit budget: "We are about $80 or so in fare revenue out of a $4,000,000 budget," the Chair said, expressing that staff should monitor potential ridership effects from a fare increase.
Details: Lee described the fare-capping thresholds in the packet materials: a sample $5 daily cap, a $20 weekly cap and a $60 monthly cap were shown as illustrative levels staff used to model savings for regular commuters. The fare-capping will rely on account registration or a stored-value transit card so the system can identify individual rides; cash and unlinked credit-card transactions would continue to be charged per ride without capping. Lee said the goal is to have the tap-to-pay/payment system operational before the start of the next fall college term to support the campus ridership transition.
Infrastructure and shelters: Lee reported most passenger shelters have been installed; one shelter remains uninstalled pending electrical boring work at that location ("we only have, I believe 6 more locations for boring to be completed"). MessagePoint Media was named as the vendor scheduled to begin on-site technology hookups. Lee also said drivers would no longer need to verify discount eligibility on boarding because discount cards would carry reduced-fare entitlements for seniors, veterans, youth and Medicare participants. He noted paratransit is regulated separately and will require a different handling of any fare adjustments.
Process and next steps: Lee said federal regulations require a public comment period for service or fare changes and that the Citizens Advisory Board reviewed fare options and recommended the proposed pricing approach. The committee did not take a vote on the proposals at the meeting; staff indicated they will proceed to public notice and return with results of that period and any recommended final actions.
No formal action was recorded by the committee during the meeting on these items; staff requested the public-notice step required by federal rules before any change is adopted.
