# New SANDAG transit rates



## espola (Jul 27, 2019)

MTS and NCTD have been kicking the fare-increase ball back and forth for almost a year now.  After public hearings where it was pointed out that almost all the increases affected those least able to pay there was some repositioning, but still no real increase in the general rates, just in rates made available to S-D-M customers (Senior-Disabled-Medicare).  The new rates were approved by the SANDAG board in June and will go into effect county-wide September 1.

All MTS and NCTD bus rides now will be $2.50, or $1.25 to those with an SDM Compass Card.  Eliminated were the lower fares ($2.25/$1.10) on the lesser routes and even lower on the Breeze buses in North County - the higher price formerly applied only to Rapid routes (like my favorite 235 between downtown and Escondido).  For the last several years I have been buying the 30-day Compass Card pass at one of the fare machines for $18.  The new price will be $23 (at least it's not the $26 originally proposed).  The general public price for a 30-day pass will stay at $72.  

Balancing those increases for customers in my situation will be a new $3 day pass for SDM Compass Card holders - the full-fare day pass will increase from $5 (which is the price charged now to everyone) to $6.  Looking at my spreadsheet of transit charges, some months I would have been better off with a $23 30-day pass, and some months with several $3 day passes.

There are also some technical changes, such as eliminating the 2, 3, 4 and 14-day passes (which almost no one bought anyway) and some changes to the Coaster fares, whicch I never ride since I don't live near the coast.


----------



## Ricky Fandango (Jul 27, 2019)

espola said:


> MTS and NCTD have been kicking the fare-increase ball back and forth for almost a year now.  After public hearings where it was pointed out that almost all the increases affected those least able to pay there was some repositioning, but still no real increase in the general rates, just in rates made available to S-D-M customers (Senior-Disabled-Medicare).  The new rates were approved by the SANDAG board in June and will go into effect county-wide September 1.
> 
> All MTS and NCTD bus rides now will be $2.50, or $1.25 to those with an SDM Compass Card.  Eliminated were the lower fares ($2.25/$1.10) on the lesser routes and even lower on the Breeze buses in North County - the higher price formerly applied only to Rapid routes (like my favorite 235 between downtown and Escondido).  For the last several years I have been buying the 30-day Compass Card pass at one of the fare machines for $18.  The new price will be $23 (at least it's not the $26 originally proposed).  The general public price for a 30-day pass will stay at $72.
> 
> ...


Doltish.


----------



## espola (Jul 27, 2019)

espola said:


> MTS and NCTD have been kicking the fare-increase ball back and forth for almost a year now.  After public hearings where it was pointed out that almost all the increases affected those least able to pay there was some repositioning, but still no real increase in the general rates, just in rates made available to S-D-M customers (Senior-Disabled-Medicare).  The new rates were approved by the SANDAG board in June and will go into effect county-wide September 1.
> 
> All MTS and NCTD bus rides now will be $2.50, or $1.25 to those with an SDM Compass Card.  Eliminated were the lower fares ($2.25/$1.10) on the lesser routes and even lower on the Breeze buses in North County - the higher price formerly applied only to Rapid routes (like my favorite 235 between downtown and Escondido).  For the last several years I have been buying the 30-day Compass Card pass at one of the fare machines for $18.  The new price will be $23 (at least it's not the $26 originally proposed).  The general public price for a 30-day pass will stay at $72.
> 
> ...


One more item - the $2.25 NCTD SDM day pass for Sprinter and Breeze will be eliminated and replaced by the new $3 overall day  pass shared with MTS.


----------



## Nonononono (Jul 27, 2019)

espola said:


> One more item - the $2.25 NCTD SDM day pass for Sprinter and Breeze will be eliminated and replaced by the new $3 overall day  pass shared with MTS.


I was wondering if you caught that change.  You did.  Well played.


----------



## nononono (Jul 28, 2019)

Nonononono said:


> I was wondering if you caught that change.
> You did.
> Well played.









*SDPD ....three on one.

Typical...*


----------



## espola (Jul 28, 2019)

nononono said:


> *SDPD ....three on one.
> 
> Typical...*


According to the original source of that image, that is not SDPD, it is Transit Police.

https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/public-safety/san-diego-explained-mtss-quasi-police-force/


----------



## nononono (Jul 28, 2019)

espola said:


> According to the original source of that image,
> that is not SDPD, it is Transit Police.
> 
> https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/public-safety/san-diego-explained-mtss-quasi-police-force/
> https://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/public-safety/san-diego-explained-mtss-quasi-police-force/


*Ok....you got me...

The head of MTS is Ed Musgrove ( Retired/Former San Diego County Sheriff )
He oversees 165 ( Now 200 + ) MTS " Officers "
He oversees 64 MTS Code Compliance Inspectors " Officers "

" Musgrove joins Manuel Guaderrama, Deputy Director of Transit Enforcement 
and Code Compliance, who had a 30-year career in the San Diego Police Department.  "

Gee...I wonder how many MTS ( Officers ) are " Retired " SDPD.....

But....you " Got " me....


*


----------



## espola (Dec 21, 2019)

In the old days, I would buy an $18 30-day pass and then try to get the maximum value out of it, riding buses and trains all over the county several days a week.  With the new pricing structure, I decided it was better to buy $3 day passes on the days when I had a good reason to go downtown, or single-ride Sprinter passes ($1.25 each way) when I wanted to go to Oceanside.

I haven't been on a bus or train since October 24.


----------



## Bruddah IZ (Dec 22, 2019)

Zzzzzzzz


----------

