Community Transit (CT) is proposing another shake-up for MTHS students who ride the public bus. Beginning in February 2013, route 112 will again serve the Lynnwood Transit Center and the CT board is proposing a fare increase.

The change to route 112 is welcomed news for many MTHS students who ride the bus. Back in February of this year, CT overhauled their entire system and the route that directly serves MTHS was changed so it no longer serves Lynnwood Transit Center.

MTHS students will appreciate proposed fare increases much less.  This could be the third fare increase for CT in less than four years and will not pay for additional service, just to maintain current service levels.

If CT’s board of directors approve the fare increase, MTHS riders who are under 18 will have to pay $1.50 instead of $1.25 to ride a local bus like route 112. Adult riders will have to pay $2.00 instead of $1.75 for a local bus ride.

To ride a CT bus to Seattle, youth riders will have to dish out $3.25 and adults will have to pay $4.00.

For MTHS students whose only source of transportation, such as Vincent Max, they have no other choice but to pay the higher rates.

“I have no other means to get home so it won’t affect me very much, I’m still going to take the bus,” Max said.

Max said that because of his school involvement in school, he has to choose between the school bus, which he doesn’t ride because he doesn’t enjoy how the school bus “gets too loud and obnoxious.”

Fares for Sound Transit buses that serve Mountlake Terrace and Seattle will not see a fare increase. Routes 511, 512, and 513 will still be $2.50 for a youth rider and $3.50 for an adult rider.

The fare increases to CT are still just proposals, but if passed, MTHS students who use the public bus could feel pain in their wallets and a change in their schedules.