Rising fares cost commuting students 25 cents more a ride

Recent hikes in bus fares and slashes to the number of bus routes on LYNX have given bus-riding students another reminder of the suffering economy.

On Jan. 4, the price for a single ride on a LYNX bus rose from $1.75 to $2 and monthly passes increased from $44 to $50. For monthly riders, the increase is only $6 per month; however, for daily riders who pay by the single fare, the increase could cost $15 or more per month.

For those who rely on LYNX as their main form of transportation, like junior art major Natashia Dixon, paying the increased fare has been a difficult transition.

"This affects me greatly," Dixon said. "This is a big bill from my financial aid."

Dixon said she did not understand why LYNX needed the bus fare increase.

"Gas prices have gone down," she said. "And they cut bus lines too."

But the hike was unavoidable, said LYNX spokesperson Matt Friedman.

"Nobody likes change," he said, "but it was necessary."

Friedman attributed the fare increase to three reasons: general operating costs, the cost of diesel gas and negotiating a new labor contract with employees.

The $2 fare that riders are now paying only covers about 25 percent of the line's operating costs, Friedman said.

Furthermore, the entire fleet runs on diesel fuel, which is more expensive than unleaded fuels.

Friedman said cutting bus routes was one of the biggest adjustments LYNX has made in 10 years.

Unlike many other Florida bus companies that serve only one county, LYNX serves several, including Seminole, Osceola and Orange. Friedman said this wide coverage has made it difficult to keep up with costs.

LYNX held dozens of administrative hearings on what changes would be best suitable, Friedman said. He said the rate hike resulted from a consensus determined to save the ailing bus line.

"People said, 'We would rather pay a little more,'" Friedman said.

And for some, it is just a little more.

"It's not really affecting me," said junior Kailah Klosky. "It's only 25 cents."

Junior Timothy McCormack, an occasional bus-rider, agreed that the higher fare was nominal.

"Usually I ended up paying $2 because there was no change [on the bus]," he said.

However, Dixon said the increase has caused her to seek alternate forms of transportation.

"These days, I just have my boyfriend drive me to school as much as possible," Dixon said.

At the current rate "just getting to school is an expense," she said.

The 25 cent increase in fare appears miniscule, but compounded twice daily for roundtrips, that little extra money out of students' pockets adds up fast.