Monroe County Transportation Authority, aka Pocono Pony, will hold a public hearing to collect feedback regarding a proposed fare increase for its fixed route service at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at MCTA’s offices, 134 MCTA Drive, Swiftwater.

The last fixed route fare increase went into effect July 2014. During those 10 years, riders have benefited from improvements made to Pocono Pony’s services, including the introduction of environmentally friendly compressed natural gas fixed route buses in 2019, the PonyPlus microtransit curb-to-curb service in 2022, and digital bus stop signs in 2023.

“We are dedicated to providing our community with a safe, reliable, and enjoyable public transit experience that can grow and change with the needs of our riders,” said Rich Schlameuss, CEO of MCTA. “We also value public input as we work to make Pocono Pony the optimal travel choice in Monroe County. Please send in your comments or join us at the public hearing.”

The proposed changes, effective Jan. 1, 2025, are:

• One-way fixed route from $1.50, including transfers, to $2, including transfers, for adult riders.

• Discounted fares will be available to eligible college/trade school students ($1.30) and people with disabilities ($1), all with free transfers.

• Fare capping via bank cards will provide discounted fares for adults: one-day ($4), seven-day ($20), and 30-day ($64) usage. For college/trade school students: one-day ($2.60), seven-day ($15), and 30-day ($41.50) usage. For people with disabilities: one-day ($2), seven-day ($10), and 35-day ($32) usage.

•Children, and students K-12 with valid school issued IDs, may ride fare-free.

MCTA encourages all interested parties to comment on the proposed fare increase by attending the meeting or submitting comments. Comment cards are available on all fixed route buses, and the cards can be returned to the driver or mailed to MCTA. Or, to comment online, visit bit.ly/3Bzfsyq. The deadline for these options is noon Wednesday, Nov. 20. Submitted comments will be made part of the official record of the public hearing process.