The AJC reports that MARTA’s one-way fare will rise 50 cents to $2.50 starting October 1st.

Is raising fares on the tail-end of a recession a risky proposition?  Long-time transportation reporter Maria Saporta thinks so.  But In a response to that May post pointing to the negative effects of a fare increase (i.e. lower ridership), MARTA Chairman Jim Durrett revealed some of the thinking behind this second fare increase in two years…

All signals are that we will not receive as much support in the future from the federal government, we receive no operational support from the State of GA (and never have), and we should not base our decisions today on a future referendum.

We must seek to better diversify our revenue sources, and that includes charging user fees that are higher, but in line with our peer systems, finding other sources of income, controlling our costs, and enhancing the quality of the transit experience. We do this will full recognition of the condition of the economic and social environment in which we operate, and we hope to make a decision that best balances our desire to operate a sustainable transit system and the capacity of the public to pay for the service.

In other MARTA related news: The #2 bus service has returned to Decatur as of this Monday!