The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission should consider re-instituting fares on Athens Transit in light of uncertain federal funding, according to a new audit of the transit department.
While Internal Auditor Gavin Hassemer and his staff of analysts did not make a recommendation one way or the other, they concluded that administrators should conduct a cost-benefit analysis to allow the M&C to make an informed decision about fares.
Currently, Athens Transit relies almost entirely on federal grants and local sales taxes for funding. TSPLOST, the voter-approved 1% sales tax for transportation, is up for renewal in 2026, and the Trump administration has threatened to withhold transportation grants from several communities over unrelated issues like immigration enforcement.
“Fares generate revenue and allow for significantly more robust ridership data, but the collection of fares incurs certain expenses, such as investing in fare boxes,” the audit concluded. “In presenting a cost-benefit analysis, the administration should explore models [that] allow for the best return on capital and operating investment, such as the most current digital payment methods.”
While long a policy goal of some commissioners at the time, Athens Transit did not go fare-free until after the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Ridership, and thus farebox revenue, had plummeted because of health concerns about being in enclosed spaces with others, and eliminating fares allowed for riders to board at the back of the bus, keeping them away from drivers.
In previous conversations about fares, transit officials have argued that reinstating fares would have little impact on revenue once the cost of installing new fareboxes and the potential loss of riders were factored in. Hassemer’s audit raised the issue that the system Athens Transit is currently using to count riders severely undercounts them, which could impact federal funding that’s based on ridership numbers.
In addition, rear boarding could be adding to the list of challenges already-underpaid bus drivers have to deal with. Police calls to the Multimodal Transportation Center nearly tripled between 2020 and 2024, from 97 to 271. According to transit experts, crime on transit trended upward during the pandemic related to an overall crime spike that’s now receding, and transit remains far safer than driving.
The audit also recommended that bus drivers get raises, noting that Clarke County School District bus drivers make $4 more per hour than Athens Transit operators, and that CCSD’s drivers generally do not have to work nights or weekends. The disparity could be contributing to challenges in attracting qualified employees—Athens Transit had an 11% vacancy rate at the time of the audit.
Other recommendations include: deciding who transit is supposed to serve and focusing on that group, eliminating little-used bus stops, coordinating with UGA on routes to avoid duplication, and making sure the Athens Transit website has up-to-date information.
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