Lane Transit District will reduce its bus fare to $1 dollar for a ride, or $2 dollars for a day pass starting in July.
Most fares and passes will be reduced by up to 50%.
Jameson Auten, LTD’s CEO, said about 40% of Lane County households work, but struggle to make ends meet. He said the district has rainy day funds set aside for hard times and the agency's leadership wanted to help out community members that might be struggling with high gas prices and other rising costs.
“It was really about temporary relief and we’re in a position to be able to do it, and our community needs it,” Auten said.
Auten said he hopes the reduced fare will help achieve LTD’s other goals, such as attracting people that have never used the bus before.
“We’re not asking people to throw away their car keys,” Auten said, “but if you want an option to save a few dollars and try the bus, here you go.”
Other types of LTD passes will also be cheaper if they’re purchased during the discount period. An adult 92-Day Pass will go from $135 to $77.
RideSource, the LTD Connector, and Rhody Express and rural shuttles will also have their fares reduced. A full list of reduced fares and passes is available on LTD’s website.
LTD did offer free rides during the pandemic, but Auten said he does not recall the agency previously offering a summer fare reduction outside of that.
The summer discount will start July 1 and extend to August 31.
