Madison County Transit District creates new types of passes

The Madison County Transit District Board on Thursday created a new set of passes for riders.

The passes include a two-hour regional pass for $3. It would allow for unlimited multi-directional rides on all MCT fixed routes, as well as MetroBus routes and MetroLink trains, for two hours, according to the transit district.

Metro also sells a regional pass for the same price, which already is accepted by MCT.

District officials, at their meeting Thursday, also approved a $2 shuttle pass for two hours of unlimited multi-directional rides within a single-fare zone.

“It’s a very popular pass, it’s used by lots of systems,” said Jerry Kane, the MCT managing director.

MCT also created an express round-trip pass for $5, which will only be good on express routes, for round-trip service for one day. It also will include rides to Rams games and MUNY Friday night performances.

Finally, the creation of a senior pass was approved. Seniors who are 75 and older will be able to ride for free on MCT buses by showing a photo identification, Kane said.

The plan will eliminate the need for transfers, to eliminate confusion among riders and drivers, and the cumbersome task of issuing the transfer tickets, officials have said.

Charges for the new passes will go into effect in January.

The new passes are part of a second phase of changes coupled with a fare hike approved last month. The fare increase goes into effect on Aug. 16.

Other changes, adjustments

Transit district officials also revised and restructured fare boundaries, which included:

▪  Extending the Granite City zone boundary north to New Poag Road from I-270;

▪  Transitioning the #6 Roxana – South Roxana shuttle to a Cross County route: the #6 Roxana-Pontoon Beach;

▪  Eliminating the express trip on #18 Collinsville Regional, and

▪  Redefining the fixed routes in the Alton, Granite City, Edwardsville, Collinsville and Highland zones.

“This is the first time … MCT has ever approved its fare zones,” Kane said during the meeting. “One of the reasons we’re proposing to do it is to make sure our fixed route fare zones are identical to our para-transit fare zones.”

The changes were made as part of the district’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The district has to provide ADA service for those who live within three-quarters of a mile of its fixed routes.

This story was originally published July 30, 2015 at 8:08 AM with the headline "Madison County Transit District creates new types of passes."