A scheduled fare hike for Baltimore’s state-run bus, light rail and paratransit, a.k.a MobilityLink, goes into effect late next month, costing riders an extra dime each way.
Single-trip fares for MTA bus, Light Rail and Metro Subway rides will increase from $1.80 to $1.90 beginning June 23, and MobilityLink fares will rise from $2 to $2.10 each way.
The change follows a 2013 law mandating that the Maryland Transit Administration hikes fares for light rail, subway and MobilityLink by a minimum of 10 cents when the Consumer Price Index increases over two previous years. CPI, which measures price changes for commonly purchased consumer goods (and is also used by the feds to adjust the poverty line) rose by around 2 percent in each of the last two years, or 4.2 percent in total.
For wallet-conscious commuters who use MTA’s monthly passes, those will increase from $72 to $74 per month.
The same 2013 law calls for reviews of MTA Commuter Bus and MARC system fares every five years; the next one is scheduled for 2020.
The MTA increased rates by the same amount two years ago. As The Sun noted at the time, citing critics and legislative analysts, the regular $0.10 fare increases far outpace inflation, and add costs for riders who aren’t always getting great value out of Baltimore public transit.
