Tonight the governing board of the Regional Transportation District (RTD) approved a new fare structure which will include an increase in transit fares. According to RTD, this is the first fare hike in five years.

RTD light rail vehicles at Union Station, DUR spring 2015.

“For the past year and a half, RTD has been conducting a fare study with the intent of simplifying the fare structure and making it more equitable across the district. Extensive public input helped shape the fare structure.  Throughout the process, RTD solicited public input and hosted over a dozen public meetings as well as 16 formal public hearings this spring to give the public numerous opportunities to provide feedback on proposed fare structure changes. Through these meetings and hearings, plus online comments, voice mails, emails and comment cards, RTD received over 1,000 comments regarding the proposed fare structure,” states RTD.

The new fare structure will take effect beginning New Year’s Day 2016. RTD includes eight Denver metro area counties, which now totals 2.8 million people.

The new fare structure includes an increase in the price of a single-boarding fare for bus and rail by 15 percent from $2.25 to $2.60 for local trips. Monthly passes will increase from $79 to $99 for local fares.

Next year RTD plans to unveil a smart card system that can be used to store money towards transit fares. A similar technology is already in use in other cities such as Seattle. Passengers wave or tap their card on an electronic kiosk and the appropriate fare is automatically subtracted from the money that is stored on the card.

RTD has received criticism for the fare increase. In advance of the approval, citizens have organized public rallies. A concern voiced by residents is that the fare hike will potentially put public transit out of reach of low-income people.