DELAND -- Fares for Votran's I-4 Express service, route 200, will go to $3.50, effective Jan. 12, said Michelle Coats, Volusia County spokeswoman.
With the fare increase, Votran is offering for the first time a monthly pass option for $80 Votran operates the I-4 express service, route 200, in partnership with the Florida Department of Transportation and LYNX, the transit system that serves Central Florida. The Volusia County Council approved the increase at its meeting Dec. 18. The fare for the I-4 Express Bus hasn’t increased since it began 10 years ago.
Riding the I-4 Express, a roundtrip weekday service between a park and ride lot in Orange City and downtown Orlando, can eliminate about 16,000 miles on the typical commuter’s personal vehicle, saving more than $8,000 per year, Coats said. Last year, the I-4 Express saved commuters 33,375 gallons of fuel (at 20 miles per gallon. That equals a cost savings of $337,000 (at a driving cost of 50.5 cents per mile).
The I-4 Express bus service serves commuters to downtown Orlando. The weekday service offers the nearly 61-mile roundtrip service between Orlando and the Saxon Boulevard Park and Ride Lot in Orange City. The current fare is $2 per trip with no options for monthly or multi-ride passes.
"The status of the route 200 service was reviewed in light of budget concerns,” said Lois Bollenback, Votran general manager. “A variety of data was compiled. On-board surveys were performed and public meetings were held to seek input regarding the future of the service.”
A few of the key findings were:
# The number of riders increased 61 percent during the second quarter of FY 2008 over the same period in the previous year. Boardings average 105 per day.
# Annual boardings for fiscal year 2008 totaled 22,250 with fare revenues of $43,968.
# Annual boardings for fiscal year 2007 totaled 14,576 with fare revenues of $29,152.
# Forty-five percent of the riders surveyed have been riding for at least two years.
# Eighty-three percent of the riders indicated that a fare increase should be implemented to offset the costs of the service (38 percent suggested $3 fares, 25 percent agreed with $4 fares and 20 percent said they would pay $5 fares).
# Several riders indicated they would like to have a multi-ride pass option.
Morning trips depart Orange City at 6 a.m., 6:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. Afternoon return trips depart downtown Orlando at 4, 4:45 and 5:30 p.m.
With gas prices that reached $4 per gallon by late summer, the weekly roundtrip cost ($20) of the bus was more economical than driving a personal vehicle. The increased fare is still economical at a weekly roundtrip rate of $35 or a monthly pass at $80.
The service also offers a guaranteed ride home in the event of an emergency for its registered riders. The commuter’s taxi fare is picked up by the transit agency if there is an emergency that calls the commuter home during the hours the Express Bus doesn’t operate.
The I-4 Express Bus annual budget is about $170,000. Florida Department of Transportation provides half of the budget and Votran and Lynx split the remaining half. The service began in August 1998. The revenue collected from this route is used to offset the cost of providing the service. Although funding and operations for this service are shared, the full fare boarding price is set by Volusia County.
“LYNX, the public transit agency serving Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, also operates an express bus service from the Clermont area,” added Bollenback. “The LYNX board recently approved a fare increase on this service to include a $3.50 full fare, LYNX weekly express pass for $23 and a monthly express pass for $70. This brings our rate in line with theirs.”
Votran began using multi-ride passes (i.e., all-day pass, 7-day pass, 31-day pass) on its fixed route service last January. “The multi-ride passes have been extremely popular on our fixed route service,” said Bollenback. “We expect the monthly pass to be popular on the I-4 Express as well.”
For more information on any Commuter Assistance Program, please call (866) 610-RIDE (7433). Callers are connected with the correct transit agency in the area -- Votran, Lynx or Space Coast area transit.