Regular bus fares in Spokane County will go up by a quarter on Saturday, the first part of a two-part fare increase.
The current fare for a two-hour pass in Spokane is $1.50. Karl Otterstrom from Spokane Transit says that will go to $1.75 tomorrow and $2.00 in July 2018.
“The $1.75 is actually on the lower side of most systems these days as a lot of systems went to $2.00 in the last five or six years," Otterstrom said.
And Spokane will go to $2.00 in July 2018.
Otterstrom says the fare hike was approved last year. It allows the agency to keep with its policy of having customers pay about 20% of the costs of operating the system.
The increases that go into effect Saturday will push the cost of full-day passes from $3.50 to $4, with no increase next year. Fares for paratransit customers who buy the One Ride pass will increase 25 cents to $1.75 this year and 25 cents next. Monthly passes will increase from $45 to $50 this year and up to $60 next year. One new feature is a seven-day pass, which debuts with a $15 cost.