Fare Hikes Coming in San Diego Because of State/Fed. Funding Retreat

Last week, the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) voted to increase fares for San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD.) The two transit agencies together carry nearly 100 million rides every year.

The will be implemented in two phases with the first on October 1, 2026 and the second a year later. The phase 1 changes are as follows:

• One way MTS fares will increase from $2.50 to $3
• MTS and NCTD monthly passes will increase from $72 to $85 for adults and from $23 to $28 for senior, disabled, and Medicare recipient (SDM) riders
• NCTD Coaster one-way fares will change to a flat rate of $6.50 for adults and $3.25 for SDM riders (from the previous zone-based model)
• Monthly Coaster passes will increase to $185 for adults and $60 for SDM riders

On October 1, 2027, monthly MTS and NCTD passes will again increase to $95 for adults and $30 for SDM riders.

The Youth Opportunity Pass, which allows anyone age 18 or younger to ride transit for free, will be unaffected.

A detailed breakdown of the new fares is available here.

These changes stem from budgetary pressure on San Diego County transit agencies that is mirrored across the state. As pandemic-related federal relief funding runs out and the state cuts state transit funding, transit agencies across California are confronting a fiscal cliff that threatens the service riders depend on every day. Transit systems have long relied on a combination of fares and public subsidies because fare revenue alone has never been enough to operate frequent, reliable bus and rail service. 

SANDAG’s public hearings, and results from surveys conducted by SANDAG, MTS and NCTD in 2024-2026 found that the majority of transit users—71% in 2025—preferred increased fares with similar service levels over maintained fares with decreased service levels. Additionally, riders preferred a 2-stage fare increase to reduce the immediate economic burden. SANDAG cited these as a key reasons for the decision in its press release.

“Making it more expensive to ride transit is never ideal, but this fare increase is necessary to maintain the levels of transit service that San Diego residents rely on,” said Aria Grossman, Policy Manager at Circulate Planning & Policy. “Raising fares was the only way to avoid reducing transit service, a trade off that transit riders time and time again say they prefer.”

The policy change is an amendment to the Comprehensive Fare Ordinance. It was recommended by the MTS Board of Directors and the NCTD Board of Directors, then approved by the SANDAG Transportation Committee. This vote will need to be ratified by the SANDAG Board of Directors in its next meeting on July 24 to take effect.

SANDAG is the regional planning agency and council of governments for San Diego County, representing the county and its 18 incorporated cities. As the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and California’s Regional Transportation Planning Agency (RTPA) for the region, SANDAG is responsible for coordinating transportation planning, distributing transportation funds, and developing long-range plans for growth, housing, and infrastructure.