Pasadena Transit, Dial-A-Ride to Resume Collecting Fares Wednesday

[UPDATED] After suspending fares to accommodate for the COVID-19 pandemic, Pasadena Transit and the city’s Dial-A Ride services are set to resume collecting fares from riders on Wednesday.

The collection of fares was halted in mid-March, “in an immediate effort to address the close proximity between customers and bus operators that would typically occur at the front of buses where fares are paid,” Pasadena Transit said in a written statement. Passenger boarding was moved to the rear of the bus to help preserve social distancing.

In addition to collecting fares again, “Per the recent installation of a protective barrier fleet-wide separating the operator from the passenger boarding area, boarding can occur again at the front of the bus,” the statement said.

The base fare is $.75, while the youth rate is $.50 and those 60 or older or those with disabilities can ride for $.35.

Customers who had 30-day passes that were interrupted by the “Safer at Home” order will receive a new pass, which will be automatically added to their TAP cards within 60 days of Wednesday, officials said.

Service will be run more frequently on the agency’s most popular lines on Aug. 9, according to Pasadena Transit. They are Route 20, which will see service every 12 to 15 minutes for most of the day, and routes 31 and 32, which will see service every 18 to 25 minutes for most of the day.

At the same time, service will be less frequent on lines that are less in demand, including Route 40, which will see service every 30 minutes, along with routes 51 and 52, which will be served every 60 minutes.

Measures taken by Pasadena Transit to combat the spread of COVID-19 include regular disinfection of high-touch surfaces, enhanced nightly disinfection of all bus surfaces, blocked off seating to encourage social distancing requiring face coverings and limiting the number of passengers per bus, the agency said.