DAYTON, Ohio — The cost to ride the bus in Montgomery County goes up a bit this September.
What You Need To Know
- Greater Dayton RTA plans to end its promo rates for bus service in September
- The reduced rates have been in place since April 2021
- The goal of the program was to get bus riders to move to the Tapp Pay system
- RTA also announced it will expand hours of operation, especially on weekends, for most of its routes
The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority plans to suspend the use of the promotional bus fare rates it’s used for more than a year. RTA also announced a series of other changes aimed at making seven-days-a-week service more consistent across its coverage area.
Starting Sept. 5, the cost to ride an RTA bus returns to “regular rates.” For instance, a single ride goes back to $2. That’s compared to the current promotional rate of $1.50 riders have been paying since the spring of 2021.
Dayton RTA also has a “cap system” that limits the overall cost to ride a bus.
The daily price cap goes up to $4 (or about two rides) in September compared to the $3 cap in place right now. The monthly cap goes from $30 back to $55.
Fares return to normal for the reduced fare program or paratransit service as well.
In June, RTA announced it would provide fare-free service to all bus riders on weekends. That promotion runs through Sunday, Sept. 4.
A breakdown of the price changes is below.
An RTA spokesperson noted this is not a price increase. The agency decided it was time to end the promotional rates it’s offered since April 2021. The promotion was a way to encourage customers to use Tapp Pay before RTA made Tapp Pay the exclusive payment method on all its vehicles, according to the spokesperson.
RTA didn’t offer a program timeline when it first announced the promotion.
Customers who can’t use a mobile device can still benefit from fare-capping by using a reloadable Tapp Pay card. Cards are available at kiosks at every RTA transit center.
As part of its service plan, RTA is extending service hours from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Sunday, beginning Aug. 14.
At that time, all RTA routes, except for Route 55, will have the same schedule seven days a week. Service start and end times vary by route.
There are 20 RTA routes, with 3,000 total stops, throughout Montgomery County and parts of western Greene County. RTA plans to release more information on specific routes soon, per the agency spokesperson.
More details about Tapp Pay and bus fare prices are available on RTA’s website.
Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority Rates
Regular
Single trip
-
Regular (new) rate: $2
-
Promotional Rate: $1.50
Daily cap
-
Regular rate: $4
-
Promotional rate: $3
Monthly cap
-
Regular rate: $55
-
Promotional rate: $30
Reduced
Single trip
-
Regular rate: $1
-
Promotional rate: $0.75
Daily cap
-
Regular rate: $2
-
Promotional rate: $1.50
Monthly cap
-
Regular rate: $32
-
Promotional rate: $15
Paratransit
Single trip
-
Regular rate: $3.50
-
Promotional rate: $1.50
Daily cap
-
Regular rate: $7
-
Promotional rate: $3
Monthly cap
-
Regular rate: $115
-
Promotional rate: $30
