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Kansas City Area Transportation Authority bus riders will start paying a $2 bus fare in June.
While some passengers say they're comfortable with the change, others worry about the impact on their budgets.
More than 12 million people ride KCATA buses annually. The rides have been free since the COVID-19 pandemic, but the KCATA needs the money from fares to meet revenue goals.
"I don't really care to be honest," one rider said. "It's been free for a long time, so you can't complain."
Tyler Means, KCATA's chief mobility and strategy officer, said the decision to increase the fare from the $1.50 riders paid in 2019 to $2 helps the authority reach its revenue goals now that it no longer receives funding from the city.
"We knew that we wanted to bring in about 10 million dollars," said Means. "Previously, in 2019, we brought in about $8.8 million through the fare box."
For some riders, the new fare will be put a strain on their budgets.
"Yeah, it's really going to affect my pockets, and I don't have much," one passenger said.
Another rider, who is on a fixed income, expressed concern about the monthly cost with the new fare.
"It makes it hard when you're on social security and you got to pay $30 and $60 a month for the bus, one rider said. "It makes it hard. Another $30 or $40 a month, that's going to kill us."
Means said KCATA is looking to bring back subsidies similar to previous years for qualified individuals based on income, organizations and other factors.
"What we want to do is bring all those back," Means said. "We want to bring back the veteran's program as well. We also want to, for the first time, start looking at a low-income program that will either reduce the fare or offer (rides) for free. Those rates have not been set yet."
Some riders believe the return of fares will improve the riding experience.
"When we start paying again it'll be a better crowd on the bus," one rider said. "Not anything against the homeless people, but sometimes it gets hectic on the bus. So, I think bring the fares back will make the bus a little safer."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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