MTA Fares To Increase In June

As required by a 2013 state law, the Maryland Transit Administration will hike fares on Sunday, June 23, officials said Tuesday.

At that time, the one-way fare will rise from $1.80 to $1.90 for local transit services. Mobility trips will go up from $2 to $2.10. Monthly passes will go up from $72 to $74.

The Transportation Infrastructure Investment Act of 2013 stipulates that when the Consumer Price Index increases over the prior two years, the MTA is required to increase fares by at least 10 cents, based on however much the CPI rose. From 2017 to 2019, the CPI went up 4.2%, MTA officials said.

Under the law, Commuter Bus and MARC fare increases are reviewed every five years, so the cost of using those services may go up in 2020.

Passengers who use MTA's mobile app, CharmPass, can blunt the pain by taking advantage of free transfers from line to line (for example, bus to bus or Metro Subway to Light Rail), as long as the ride takes 90 minutes or less to complete.