Spokane Proposing to Reduce Bus Lines After Fare Increase

Just months after a fare increase, Spokane Transit Authority is proposing a cut in bus lines to help level out the 12 percent of riders lost in the last two years.

The Spokane Transit Authority (STA) in Spokane, Washington has been hit hard by the economy in the past two years. With the number of riders dropping they increased the fare to $1.25 but that still isn't enough to pull the public transportation out of the whole and cover taxes. As with any company feeling the effects of the current economy, the same steps are followed: First, increase fees, second decrease employees and finally decrease service. The route change being purposed are scheduled to take affect in September of this year. Additional changes are yet to be placed on a time line for adjustment. The current reduction in services is estimated to be around 2 percent; however over the next two years, the STA is saying they will need to decrease service by around 16 percent to make up for the loses. It is also thought that in order to bring the financial records up to where they were 2007 it could take up until 2015. The Chief Executive Officer for the STA, Susan Meyer had this to say in an interview with the Spokesman-Review Newspaper:

“The reductions we are talking about are modest. Having said that, they will hurt."

To see how your schedule will be affected as of September, you can go to the STA website or Downtown to the STA Plaza.