A new fare structure has been proposed for Collin County Transit, an eligibility-based public transit program serving McKinney and select other participating Collin County cities.
A public hearing was held on the fare change at an Aug. 20 McKinney City Council meeting, but no comments were presented.
The specifics
The program will transition from its current fare structure, which charges a set price per ride. Rides within service area cities cost $3.15 per trip while rides outside of the service area cost $5.25 per trip.
The new dynamic structure uses a base minimum fare with additional fare costs that are dependent on the distance of the ride, city documents state. Rides that are 7 miles or less will cost $5, while rides over 7 miles long will cost $5 plus $0.75 for each additional mile. The maximum cost will be capped at $17, which equates to a 23-mile trip, Transit Program Administrator Akia Pichon said at the Aug. 20 meeting.
Other cost saving measures considered but not selected included limiting the ride distance, limiting the total number of rides per month for each rider and limiting the number of program participants, according to city documents. The fare change was the result of rising demand for the program which increased overall operational costs, city documents state.
“The city was the beneficiary of a great deal of federal money to help fund this program and it’s our goal on council to sustain it for the people who need it to get around,” McKinney City Council member Patrick Cloutier said. “It’s the only public transportation that we have and this augmentation [of] the fares make it more sustainable for us in the future.”
City staff is also working to implement other cost saving measures such as a cancellation policy and mandated rider recertification, Pichon said at a May 7 McKinney Urban Transit District board meeting.
The context
The program, administered by Dallas Area Rapid Transit Local Government Corporation, offers on-demand transportation services for seniors, disabled residents and low-income residents in select participating Collin County cities. According to the program’s website, participating cities include:
- Celina
- Lowry Crossing
- McKinney
- Melissa
- Princeton
- Prosper
“There was a tremendous amount of discussion and effort to get to this place,” McKinney Mayor George Fuller said of the fare structure changing.
The program is available from 6 a.m.-8 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m.-8 p.m. on weekends, and does not operate on select holidays. Participants can use the GoPass mobile app or call the program call center at 469-771-0667 to schedule the on-demand transit service, which can transport residents anywhere within Collin County, its website states. For more information on eligibility or to apply for the program, click here.
Looking ahead
Another public hearing regarding the fare change is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Oct. 21 at Prosper Town Hall, Pichon said. The program’s new fare structure is expected to go into effect January 2025, according to city documents.
For more information on the Collin County Transit program, visit www.collincountytransit.com.
