WTA says it won’t renew bus pass contract with WWU 

Western Washington University students could see changes next fall to how much they pay for transit in Whatcom County. 

A $600,000 contract between Western and Whatcom Transportation Authority ensures that students, staff and faculty receive unlimited rides on the bus each year. Students contribute to this through the Active Transportation Fee — a $33 fee assessed quarterly. 

But WTA General Manager Les Reardanz informed Western leaders on Friday afternoon that the transit authority doesn’t plan to renew the contract when it expires in September 2026. Instead, the WTA has proposed that students become eligible for reduced fares, maxing out at $30 a month. Faculty and staff would purchase regular passes, said Maureen McCarthy, WTA director of communications and government relations. 

“This is consistent with how we plan to work with Bellingham Technical College, Northwest Indian College and Whatcom Community College,” McCarthy said.

This move is part of a larger proposal to overhaul how fares look at the WTA. That includes increasing the fixed route base fare from $1 to $2. Paratransit fares would increase from $1 to $3. The transit system’s monthly “fare cap” will increase from $30 to $60 a month. Under this new system, students would be eligible for reduced fares, meaning they would pay $1 a ride and pay a maximum of $30 a month, no matter how many times they ride. 

The new fares haven’t been approved yet. The WTA’s Board of Directors will likely vote on the changes at its next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 4. 

“WTA’s goals with regard to Western are the same as those for our proposed fare changes overall: To make fares simple, consistent and financially sustainable,” McCarthy said. 

The planned nonrenewal of the contract with Western, and the proposal to increase fares, have concerned Western students: dozens joined a virtual public hearing on Monday, Nov. 24 to speak against the proposed change. 

“Students are already facing a breadth of basic needs issues from housing insecurity to food insecurity, and having to pay out of pocket for bus passes is unrealistic and unwarranted as well,” said Aspen Cates-Doglio, president of the Associated Students of WWU, at the hearing. 

Students expressed a range of concerns: an increase in car usage due to the change, the resulting challenges in finding parking, and the undue burden the change and broader fare increases would have on low-income community members.  

“Given that Western students comprise a significant share of the ridership on WTA, this is a huge risk, and I think it should seriously be explored — the potential shortfalls and losses of fares and ridership,” said John Hardgrove, the AS WWU Senate president. 

Joyce Lopes, the vice-president for business and financial affairs at Western, thanked students for sharing their perspectives at the hearing.

“We really are grateful for the partnership with WTA over the years,” Lopes said. “… Our contract is still in effect through September of 2026, and we look forward to having further conversations with WTA on how we can partner to ensure we’re providing our students with the necessary access at an affordable rate.”

Lopes noted in a statement to CDN that students and employees make up 38% of WTA’s ridership.

The WTA already subsidizes the cost of rides, said Audra Stiles, the grants and revenues manager. One fixed-route ride costs the WTA about $10, and a paratransit ride costs the transit authority nearly $100, Stiles said. Western students end up paying about 40 cents a ride, based on the current model. 

“While [fares] are a smaller part of our funding, it’s a necessary part of our funding, and we won’t be able to continue the current service that we provide without it,” Stiles said.

WTA’s fare proposal also includes the elimination of the “Gold Card” as is, which provides free transit to community members 75 and older. Instead, several groups would now be eligible for half-price fares: riders 65 and older, people with disabilities, veterans, paratransit-eligible riders, and — as referenced in the public hearing — students. 

One more public hearing on the proposed fare increases will be held at 8 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 4 at 4011 Bakerview Spur in Bellingham, or virtually. Community members can also submit comments on the proposal on this web page, by calling 360-676-7433 or by emailing customerservice@ridewta.com.

Charlotte Alden is CDN’s general assignment/enterprise reporter; reach her at charlottealden@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 123.