NORTH COUNTY — The financial realities facing the region’s two transit agencies are becoming tenuous.
Both the North County Transit District and San Diego Metropolitan Transit District are facing severe budget deficits and potential service reductions, decreased frequency, and fewer routes, to name a few. The issue was the focus of discussion on Friday as the San Diego Association of Governments Board of Directors approved fare increases for both agencies for the first time since the 2000s.
The fare increases will roll out in October across the Coaster, Sprinter, Breeze and San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) network, according to SANDAG. The board also approved a new structure by collapsing the Coaster’s three-zone pricing into a single flat fare.
While the fare increases will only incrementally help, MTS Chief Executive Officer Sharon Cooney said those projected revenues are critical to extending the agency’s financial stability until a more robust and permanent solution can be found. She said MTS is facing a $154 million budget shortfall next year, while NCTD is looking at a projected $16 million deficit in two years, according to an NCTD presentation in April.
