There was talk during a recent Assembly meeting of fare increases for the elderly and disabled on Anchorage's “People Mover” bus system. However the Assembly has found a way to keep fares from rising.
As Assembly members hammered out the budget, Assembly member Elvi Gray-Jackson proposed an amendment to keep bus fares from increasing for seniors and disabled people after the mayor proposed an increase. The Assembly voted her amendment down. However, Gray-Jackson says they've found another possible way to keep bus fares from going up.
“The mayor brought forth an ordinance to increase bus fares - with other things to - to balance the budget and that would have brought in $2.6 million. But instead we're going to use money from surplus dollars to balance the budget instead of increasing bus fares,” Gray-Jackson said.
Gray-Jackson says the municipality has the budget surplus dollars available. Assembly members have asked officials for an estimate of the budget surplus, but they say they can't give one until the end of the year.
It currently cost $1.75 to ride the bus; seniors and disabled people pay a reduced fare of .50 cents.