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• »Metro fares

Skyrocketing fuel costs prompt proposal to boost Metro Transit fares

Increase needed to preserve bus service to meet growing demand

With Metro Transit ridership and diesel fuel prices at record levels, King County Executive Ron Sims on July 3, 2008 announced he will preserve current service and continue delivering new service by proposing a 25-cent fare increase. Sims opted for the proposed increase rather than cut service to pay for fuel costs that have skyrocketed over 60 percent this year alone.

“This worldwide fuel crisis comes at a time of historic ridership growth for Metro Transit—and is the reason why residents are turning to transit in record numbers as their own budgets are squeezed,” Sims said. “But the same rising fuel costs contributing to Metro’s popularity are making it more expensive to deliver service and maintain aggressive transit-growth plans.

“This fare increase will allow us to continue to move forward in an effort to meet the extraordinary demand for more transit, not slip backward at a time when these services are needed the most,” Sims said.

Metro had budgeted $2.60 per gallon for diesel this year. Now, due to the dramatic spike in fuel costs, it anticipates paying an average of $3.86 per gallon in 2008. That cost difference will create a deficit of more than $14 million in 2008, despite a fare increase earlier this year to cushion the impact of rising operational costs.

Please see the documents posted on this page for detailed information.

Updated: Jul. 03, 2008