For those of you who drive, live and dwell on or around campus, or simply choose to walk rather than subject yourself to the whims, smells and sad resignation aboard the AC transit system, this year expect a seller’s market for bus pass stickers. Amidst a gaping deficit and, it would follow, looming budget cuts, it looks like bus prices are on the up and up. Our hands protectively cup our oh-so-valuably adorned ID cards.

Here’s the damage: Adult trips will go from $1.75 to $2; for kids and old people, 85 cents to $1. Likewise, the price of a ten ride package jumps from $8.50 to $10, and a 31 day pass now costs an additional ten bucks. This decision comes at the heels of about $100 million in funding cuts this millennium and a $57 million deficit this year.

The Clog sympathizes with the soon-to-be-iron-calved homeless people who we suspect will be most strongly affected by the increase. For $2 a ride, we’d walk too.

Image Source: romsrini under Creative Commons.
AC Transit Set to Raise Fees in Response to Cuts, Deficit [Daily Kal]