Tuesday, January 14, 2025–12:10 p.m.

-David Crowder, WRGA News-

The Rome Transit Department will reinstate bus fares this spring.

The Rome City Commission approved the fares Monday night.

According to RTD Director Courtnay Griffin, the transit service has offered free ridership for the past few years due to federal funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That funding has now run out.

“The federal government has been funding our transit system and at a very sensitive time as we looked at a new mode of operation after the loss of tripper>” Griffin said.”As a result that funding has dissolved, and it actually dissolved in 2023, so we are no longer getting 100% funding for operations.”

The Fixed Route Regular Full Fare will be $1.50, which is up from the previous rate of $1.25.

The Fixed Route Senior/Disabled/Student Fare will be 75 cents, up from the previous 60 cents.

Transfers and children under 5 will be free.

“These rates were looked at not only by us as a board, but we got these numbers based off of survey results throughout our community, as well as looking at what cities of like size and economic structure had for their transit system,” Griffin added.

The Paratransit Service Fare will remain at $2.25.

“We also have discount ride cards that we are instated and impaired transit, we noticed that the fare structure was not identical to main line,” Griffin told commissioners. “It was a little bit off, so there’s actually a little bit of a deeper discount on paratransit for the multi-ride fare cards.”

The fares will become effective on March 31.