Las Cruces City Council finalizes free bus fares through June 2023
LAS CRUCES – The Las Cruces City Council voted unanimously to suspend bus fares until June 30, 2023. The vote legitimized the fare suspension after the city terminated bus fares on the RoadRUNNER bus system on Nov. 28.
Previously, bus fares cost $1 per trip. Many riders qualify for a rate of 50 cents per trip, including children between 6 to 18 years old, people over 60, persons with disabilities, Medicare holders, and students with valid school identification. People using the Dial-A-Ride services paid $2 per trip. Children under 6 rode free already.
Supporters of free fares — including Las Cruces Councilor Johanna Bencomo — say it's about more than saving riders a few bucks.
In a recent interview, Bencomo noted free public transit programs are a rising trend worldwide. She added that eliminating fares impacts public transit budgets in a minor way while having a tangible benefit for communities like equitable access.
Michael Bartholomew, the transit administrator for the city, gave details on that question. He said the city should expect to lose around $166,000 to $176,000.
“That’s a drop in the bucket,” he said, adding that the bus system’s budget reaches around $6 million yearly.
Bartholomew said the move would not affect contracts with New Mexico State University and Doña Ana County Community College.
In some instances, the end of transit fares has also led to a rise in ridership.
The South Central Regional Transit Authority, which provides bus service within Doña Ana County outside of Las Cruces, eliminated fares from April to Labor Day this year. As a result, they noted a 15 percent ridership increase.
Whether that will happen in the city remains to be seen, although Bartholomew did say he expects to see an increase and expects to have the compacity to meet that demand.
He did clarify that the Dial-a-Ride service — which primarily serves people with disabilities — operates at capacity currently. However, if that service saw increased use, Bartholomew said the RoadRUNNER might have to make access stricter; something Bencomo said she objected to.
But for now, the service remains as is and is free of charge.
Riders can find information about RoadRUNNER routes and the Passenger Code of Conduct at www.lascruces.gov/Roadrunner or by calling 575-541-2500. Information about Dial-A-Ride is available by calling 575-541-2777.
Bartholomew said he would bring the trial results back to city council in April 2023.
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Justin Garcia is a public safety reporter for the Las Cruces Sun-News. He can be reached at JEGarcia@lcsun-news.com.
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Las Cruces City Council finalizes free bus fares through June 2023
