Adult Muni fares on the rise

Muni riders will have to scrounge for an extra quarter — or skip the whole ordeal with a Clipper Card — as adult cash fares rise next month.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency will raise adult cash fares from $2.00 to $2.25 starting Sept. 1. for both cash and Clipper card users. Monthly adult Muni Fast Passes will also increase.

The monthly adult ‘A’ Fast Pass with access to San Francisco BART stations will increase from $76 to $80. The adult ‘M’ Fast Pass will increase from $66 to $68.

Lifeline monthly passes for low-income riders will also see an increase from $33 to $34.

Cash and monthly fares for senior, disabled and youth will remain the same at $0.75 for single rides and $23 for a monthly pass.

The transit agency is continuing its Free Muni For Youth program, which allows low and moderate-income youth between the ages of 5 and 17 to ride Muni for free.

In April, the SFMTA board decided to extend the program to 18 year olds, which will go into effect Nov. 1.

The transit agency is encouraging youth who qualify for program to apply. Applications will be available online starting Sept. 1.

Earlier this year, Google donated $6.8 million to the Free Muni For Youth Program, which extended the program to June 30, 2016.

At an upcoming Aug. 19 meeting, the SFMTA board will also consider including students between the ages of 19 and 22 who are enrolled in the San Francisco Unified School District’s Special Education Services program.

The fare increases are part of a formula that uses the Consumer Price Index and labor costs.

There has not been a single-ride cash fare increase since the transit agency started using this method in 2009, according to the SFMTA.