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McHenry County presents new tiered fares for MC Ride; officials report modest farebox gains
Summary
County transportation staff detailed a shift from distance-plus pricing to a three-tier flat system for MC Ride trips (now $3/$6/$9), reporting a rise in rider-paid amounts and an increase in farebox recovery to about 8% by April while flagging sharply higher operating costs per trip.
McHenry County transportation staff presented the results of a fare‑structure change to the MC Ride demand‑response service, describing a move to tiered flat fares that took effect earlier this year. "But now you pay $3 if your trip is 5 miles or less, $6 if your trip is 5 to 10 miles, and then $9 if your trip is more than 10 miles," said Anna Valenzolanderis, the county transportation planner leading the update. The county also maintained reduced tiers of $2/$4/$6 for eligible riders.
Staff showed four‑month before/after comparisons and said most rider fare categories increased, with particularly sharp jumps in higher‑mileage trips. Anna said the change was aimed at improving farebox recovery; the county reported recovery reached about 8% by April, up toward a stated 10% goal but still short. Scott Eddings, the county’s assistant director of transportation, told the committee that operating costs have risen since the pandemic and staff estimate roughly $42 per trip in operating cost, meaning most of each trip remains subsidized by taxpayers.
Committee members noted a small number of rider complaints about edge cases where origin/destination measurements put riders into a higher tier. Members also observed that private ride services and new local van operators are emerging alternatives in parts of the county. The committee discussed monitoring ridership and denials closely and asked staff to bring additional year‑over‑year ridership detail at the next meeting.
