New fares effective Sunday, July 7, 2024!
Here's what you need to know!
Gold Coast Transit District (GCTD) is committed to providing reliable and affordable transit services to our community. In our efforts to maintain the level of service you expect from us, we have carefully reviewed our fare system. Effective July 7th, 2024, we have implemented changes to our fare structure.
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What's Changed?
The standard adult base fare has been adjusted from $1.50 to $2.00. Additionally, the reduced fare option for eligible passengers increased from $0.75 to $1.00, equivalent to half of the base fare. These adjustments apply across all fare categories for GCTD’s bus service, as well as our flexible services, including the GO ACCESS service and the Late-Night Safe Rides Program.
Figure 1: Bus Service Fares
Figure 2: GO ACCESS & Flexible Services Fares
Why the Change?
Our decision to adjust fares comes after careful consideration and extensive community input. We have not updated our fares in over a decade, and this adjustment is necessary to ensure that we can continue to provide the level of service our community deserves. By implementing these changes, we can strike a balance between keeping fares affordable for our riders and maintaining the reliability of our transit services.
GCTD provides essential transit services that meet the needs of our community. We understand that our services are an essential lifeline for many, Serving, Moving, and Connecting People to Opportunity - One Ride at a Time. While our services are primarily government-funded, fares make up roughly 15% of our annual operating budget and is vital to ensuring GCTD can continue delivering quality service.
Here are the key reasons behind a fare structure adjustment:
- Operational Costs: GCTD has worked to keep fares low, avoiding the need to raise fares since 2011. The cost of fuel, labor, and maintenance have all increased over the last decade. The proposed fare adjustment will help offset these operational expenses and ensure the continued sustainable operations of our services.
- Service Quality: Connecting people to opportunity by providing high-quality service is one of our top priorities. How and when fares are paid impacts the quality of service. Paying cash takes time and slows down trips for everyone. The proposed fare adjustment offers discounts for pre-paid fares to keep your bus moving.
- Financial Stability: Ensuring the financial stability of GCTD is crucial for the long-term viability of public transportation within our district. The fare adjustment is a crucial step to maintaining the fiscal health of GCTD, allowing us to deliver the services you depend on every day.
Community Involvement:
We understand that any changes to our fare system can have a significant impact on our riders. That's why we made it a priority to involve the community in the decision-making process. We conducted a public comment period, engaged in public outreach efforts, and gathered feedback through surveys. After reviewing the findings and recommendations, our Board of Directors unanimously approved the fare adjustments at the April meeting.
Below is a recap of the meetings previously held by GCTD as part of the public outreach and engagement process:
Ways GCTD is working to keep transit affordable:
- Free Fare Programs: Since 2018, GCTD has participated in the Ventura County Transportation Commission's College Ride Program offering fare-free trips for area college students. A similar program was instituted for youth riders in 2022. GCTD is reimbursed the full fare by the Ventura County Transportation Commission for each trip taken. These programs have been vital to maintaining service levels in GCTD’s post-COVID-19 recovery.
- Discounted Fare Programs: Individuals with disabilities, seniors and veterans are all eligible for 50% a reduced fare. Discounts are also available for pre-paid passes including Day passes, 15 - Ride passes, and 31 – Day passes.
- Alternative Funding Sources: GCTD is actively seeking new funding sources. GCTD continues to apply to grant programs to operate and improve service, maintain and replace vehicles, and enhance transit facilities throughout the district.
- Fare Capping: Pay-As-You-Go (fare capping) allows riders to ride for free after they have paid the equivalent of a daily or monthly pass when using the Token Transit Mobile App. Meaning, if a rider cannot pay the upfront cost of a qualifying pass (i.e. $50.00), they will still receive the benefit of the discount from a prepaid pass once the cap is met. Each time a pass is activated, the Token Transit system scans the passenger’s history to see if the capping applies. If capping applies, the rider will receive the upgraded pass for the remaining amount of time sent directly to their app. You can find additional information on GCTD's fare capping here.
Benefits of Pre-paid Fares:
- Efficiency and Faster Boarding: Pre-paid fare systems allow passengers to pay before boarding, reducing the time buses need to spend at bus stops and instead getting you where you need to go.
- Improved Passenger Flow: Pre-paid systems contribute to smoother passenger flow on and off the bus, reducing crowding and making the overall transit experience more pleasant for everyone.
- Cost Savings: Handling cash transactions and issuing paper tickets can be resource intensive. Moving to a pre-paid system can reduce the costs associated with cash handling services.
- Prepaid Fare Options: Prepaid fare options include magnetic stripe paper tickets and digital passes on the Token Transit Pass app as seen in Figure 3.
- Fare Capping: Prepaid fare capping is only available through the Token Transit Pass app. Learn more about GCTD's fare capping here.
Figure 3. Pre-paid Fare Options:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there a need for a fare structure adjustment?
While our services are primarily government-funded, fares make up roughly 15% of our annual operating budget. Higher fares will help us keep up with rising operational costs without cutting or reducing any of GCTD’s current service. Scaling back our services could involve reducing bus operating hours, frequency, and, in some instances, eliminating routes altogether.
When was the last time GCTD adjusted the fares?
GCTD fares have remained unchanged since 2011.
What are the new prices for bus tickets (Cash, Pre-Paid Tickets, and Passes)?
The table above shows the updated prices for bus tickets, including cash fares, pre-paid tickets, and passes. The adult base fare has increased to $2, and $1.00 for passengers eligible for a reduced fare (proof of eligibility required). These new fares are effective starting July 7, 2024.
What is the fare increase for flexible services like GO Now, GO ACCESS, and Late Night Safe Rides?
The table above displays the full list of updated prices for flexible services such as GO ACCESS, GO Now and Late Night Safe Rides. A trip on GO ACCESS for ADA and Seniors over 65 is $4.00. These new fares are effective: July 7, 2024.
Will reduced fares still be available after the fare adjustment?
GCTD will continue to provide reduced fares to eligible groups, including Seniors aged 65 and over, Veterans, Medicare/Social Security Insurance recipients, and individuals with disabilities. These reduced fares will offer a discount of half off the newly adjusted fare increase. For a complete overview of the new discounted fare prices, please review the graph below.
To see if you qualify for GCTD’s reduced fare, click here.
Will free fare programs continue with the new fare increase?
Yes, youth (18 and under), Seniors 75+, and college students will continue to ride the bus for free.
To learn more about these programs, please click here.
How are GCTD’s Youth Ride Free and College Ride Free Programs funded?
The Youth Ride Free and College Ride Free Programs are funded through California’s Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP), a grant acquired and managed by the Ventura County Transportation Commission (VCTC). Under these programs, GCTD receives full reimbursement for individuals aged 18 or younger or students enrolled at eligible schools. Currently, Youth Ride Free accounts for approximately one-third ridership and serves as a central component of GCTD’s revenue.
To learn more about Youth Ride Free visit here, or click here to learn more about the College Ride Free Program.
What happens to tickets purchased before the fare adjustment?
All fixed route magnetic-stripe tickets purchased before July 7, 2024, will continue to be accepted and valid until used.
What are the different ways I can pay for fares?
You have several options for paying your fares. To learn more about these forms of fare payments please click here.
What are the benefits of pre-paid fares?
- Speed: Boarding the bus becomes quicker with pre-paid fares. This can reduce wait times at bus stops, prevent delays, and speed up your journey.
- Savings: Pre-paid bus passes offer savings through fare capping and discounts compared to buying individual tickets.
- Convenience: With pre-paid fares, you always have your fare ready to go. Simply board without worrying about having cash on hand.
What if I use the VCbuspass?
The VCbuspass 31-day pass for Zone 1 will not be affected by the fare adjustment; passes will continue to cost $50. This pass offers unlimited rides for 31 consecutive days starting from the first day of use.
For fares paid using VCbuspass' stored value, a 10% discount will be applied automatically to your payment.
For more information about the VCbuspass please visit https://www.goventura.org/vcbuspass/.
What is fare capping?
Pay-As-You-Go (fare capping) allows riders to ride for free after they have paid the equivalent of a daily or monthly pass when using the Token Transit Mobile App. Meaning, if a rider cannot pay the upfront cost of a qualifying pass, they will still receive the benefit of the discount from a prepaid pass once the cap is met. Each time a pass is activated, the Token Transit system scans the passenger’s history to see if the capping applies. If capping applies, the rider will receive the upgraded pass for the remaining amount of time sent directly to their app.
You can find additional information on GCTD's fare capping here.
How does fare capping work?
Eligible Passes
Passes eligible for fare capping are all GCTD time-based passes including, 1 Ride (2hr pass), Day Pass and 31 Day Pass. There is no beginning of a single fare capping window, Token Transit checks fare capping over every possible window.
Remaining Money
When a passenger is $1 over the dollar value of pass activations needed to be fare capped, the passenger will be refunded the $1 back to the payment method used and the refund will show on the agency transfer reports as “fare capped.”
15-Ride Pass
Multi-ride passes are not eligible to be included in fare capping. These passes have no expiration date and may be used by more than one person at a time.
To learn more about GCTD’s fare capping click here.
What are the benefits of fare capping?
With fare capping, there is no upfront cost of a pass, just pay as you go and still enjoy the benefit of a multi-ride discount once you have reached the cap.
Fare Structure Adjustment Plan
Resources
A bilingual printable copy of the passenger notice can be found here.
Learn more about our why this change is needed now and more infographics here.
Learn more about or survey results by reviewing our snapshot here.
Contact us to learn more about these changes:
Comments on webform: customerservice@gctd.org or call: 805-487-4222