Bus and train passengers in Miami-Dade are one vote away from seeing their first fare hike in 13 years, with the County Commission set to decide the issue Tuesday.
While legislation on the agenda would increase the current $2.25 fare to $2.75 next spring, that may not be the only option. Commissioners could opt for a 25-cent increase if they don’t have the votes for the full 50-cent increase. Or the measure could die for lack of support — as it did a year ago when Mayor Daniella Levine Cava asked commissioners to approve higher fares to plug revenue holes in the county’s beleaguered transit budget.
While transit advocates successfully fought back higher prices for passengers last year, this time around, the proposal has more support. In September, commissioners adopted cuts in late-night bus service that Levine Cava had proposed to temporarily balance the transit budget. But the mayor now says that if passengers pay more, the extra dollars could be used to reverse at least some of the planned cuts…