When my bus is late, I get annoyed.

Especially when it's late for no good reason. My #16 ride home today was late due to a hundred tiny bad reasons, in the form of people who didn't notice that the bus fare had gone up. Obviously they didn't notice the widely-advertised public hearings in March, the proposal brochures in April, the announcement in Rider News in May, or the glossy yellow brochures this month. Or the new Ride Guide. Or the voice and visual announcements both on board and on every Smart Stop. Or the web site and telephone messages.

So the drivers are waiting thrice as long as they ought to at stops, waiting for people to dig that extra quarter out of their bags and wallets.

Therefore, as a public service announcement:

RTA is now on a new fare structure, effective today.

Cash fares are as follows:
Local routes: $1.50 general/youth, $0.70 senior/disabled. Children $0.25.
CommuterLink routes: $3 general/youth, $2 senior/disabled. Children $2.

Day passes are as follows:
Local routes: $4 general/youth, $2 senior/disabled.
CommuterLink routes (also covers local routes): $7 general/youth, $5 senior/disabled.

7-Day passes are as follows:
Local routes: $16 for all.

31-Day passes are no longer. They have been replaced by 30-Day passes.
They are as follows:
Local routes: $50 general, $35 youth, $23 senior/disabled.
CommuterLink routes: $75 general/youth, $50 senior/disabled.

Annual and 10-Trip passes have been discontinued.

Oh, and ROUTE SCHEDULES HAVE CHANGED for the following routes:
3, 7, 8, 10, 11 (new), 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 (discontinued), 18/18A, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27,29, 30, 33, 35, 36 (discontinued), 38, 38E (discontinued), 40, 42, 52 (discontinued), 55, 57, 61, 79, 202, 208, 210, 212 (new), 217 (new).

Really, that's nearly every route in the system. You owe it to your transit-riding self to get a new Ride Guide. If you can't find one on the bus, check your local library or the RTA office.

Inform yourselves, and stop holding up my bus.