REGION — A San Diego Association of Governments committee today approved the first significant transit fare increase since 2009 following proposals from the Metropolitan Transit System and the North County Transit District.
The increase must still be ratified by the SANDAG Board of Directors at its July 24 meeting before taking effect.
SANDAG’s Transportation Committee approved the fare increase to “help keep transit service levels as high as possible as the agencies face budget challenges in the coming years,” according to a statement from the regional agency.
The increases will be phased in over two years, with the first taking effect Oct. 1, 2026, followed by a second increase on Oct. 1, 2027.
Beginning this fall, monthly MTS and NCTD passes will increase from $72 to $85 for adults and from $23 to $28 for seniors, riders with disabilities and Medicare recipients. NCTD COASTER passes will shift from a zone-based fare model to a flat-fare system. One-way COASTER fares will be set at $6.50 for adults and $3.25 for senior, disabled and Medicare riders. Monthly COASTER passes will increase to $185 for adults and $60 for eligible discounted riders.
The approved fare changes will not affect the Youth Opportunity Pass, which allows anyone 18 and younger to ride transit free with a Youth PRONTO app account or card.
The second increase in fall 2027 will raise monthly MTS and NCTD passes to $95 for adults and $30 for senior, disabled and Medicare riders.
Aria Grossman, policy manager at Circulate Planning & Policy, a nonprofit focused on expanding transportation options, called the increase difficult but necessary.
“Making it more expensive to ride transit is never ideal, but this fare increase is necessary to maintain the levels of transit service that San Diego residents rely on,” Grossman said. “Raising fares was the only way to avoid reducing transit service, a tradeoff that transit riders time and time again say they prefer.”
MTS and NCTD are also moving forward with the new PRONTO LIFE (Low-Income Fare Eligible) program, scheduled to launch Oct. 1, 2026. The program is designed to freeze current adult regional fares for eligible riders enrolled in CalFresh, Medi-Cal and CalWORKs, “ensuring that thousands of lower-income residents continue to have access to affordable public transportation even as regional fares increase,” according to the agencies.
San Diego City Councilmember and MTS board member Sean Elo-Rivera introduced the Fair Freeze Plan last month. The proposal passed the MTS board on an 8-4 vote before being expanded into the regional PRONTO LIFE program.
“Today’s vote is exactly why we fought for the Fair Freeze Plan,” Elo-Rivera said. “No one should pretend fare increases are painless. For a working mom trying to get to a second job, a senior on a fixed income or a family already choosing between rent, groceries and health care, every dollar matters. The Fair Freeze Plan is about making sure the riders with the least to give are not asked to carry the heaviest burden.”
MTS staff is expected to present an implementation plan for the Fair Freeze/LIFE program in September.
