Wichita Transit Changes Effective March 26
If you ever ride City of Wichita Transit Buses, get ready for a number of changes including the elimination of transfers a requirement for exact change and some changes to bus routes. The route changes take effect Sat., March 26. The rate changes are effective April 4.
The cash fare remains $1.75 but transfer are being discontinued and each boarding will require a cash fare or pass. Some routes have been paired, so a ride out of the transit center doesn’t require an additional fare if you continue on a paired bus. For example Route 11 (former West Maple) and Route 21 (former East 17th) are paired routes so a passenger can ride from 21st and Maize to downtown and then to 21st and Greenwich for one fare and on one bus. To learn more about paired routes go to www.wichitatransit.org.
The new transit policy also eliminates the use of pennies, requires exact change and fareboxes will no longer give change cards. If more than the exact fare is paid, there will be no money returned with change cards. City officials say both changes are being made to speed boarding and to help keep buses on time.
Day passes will be sold on the buses but longer passes – weekly and monthly – will only be available at Dillons Stores, the City Hall Express Office and the WSU Rhatigan Student Center. Cards are not active until their first used in the farebox, except day passes that are purchased on the bus, which are active as soon as they’re purchased. All period passes will be stamped with an expiration date on the first date it used and the date and time it expires.
Weekly and Monthly passes are good for consecutive days and priced with Sundays taken into consideration. When weekly and monthly passes are priced, Wichita Transit takes Sundays into consideration (Wichita buses do not run on Sundays.) The weekly pass is good for 7 consecutive days or 6 operating days. If used all 6 days, the daily cost calculates to about $4.15 per day. 30-day passes are good for 30 consecutive days. If a customer rides the bus everyday day (26 days) the fare works out to $2.12 per day. If they only ride on weekdays (22 days) the fare is $2.50 per day.
Wichita Transit will exchange discontinued passes March 28 – April 15 at the transit center. Only one 20-ride pass exchange is allowed per customer. Exchanges of unused passes will be honored will be honored at the basic rate of One adult pass for one new adults single ride and one old adult ride with transfer for new adults single rides. Partially used passes will be exchanged based on the number of rides left on the card.