Monthly bus and rail passes across San Diego County rose from $72 to $85 on Thursday, Oct. 1, hitting Coaster commuters in Del Mar and Solana Beach with a new $185 monthly pass.

The increases, first reported by The Coast News, mark the first increase in monthly pass prices in 17 years for the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD). The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) finalized the hikes in July to help the agencies cover budget shortfalls, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

One-way MTS bus and Trolley fares rose from $2.50 to $3. Senior and disability passes climbed from $23 to $28.

For Coaster riders boarding at the Solana Beach station, NCTD eliminated its zone-based pricing and switched to a flat fare of $6.50 one way for adults and $3.25 for seniors, people with disabilities and Medicare recipients. Monthly Coaster passes jumped to $185 for adults and $60 for reduced-fare riders.

A second round of increases is already approved for fall 2027. Monthly MTS and NCTD passes will rise again to $95. One-way bus and Trolley fares will climb to $3.25.

The Coaster one-way fare will go from $6.50 to $7, and a special monthly pass for NCTD's Sprinter trains and Breeze buses rose from $59 to $65 on Oct. 1 and will increase to $70 in fall 2027, according to the Union-Tribune. By fall 2027, the cumulative hike on one-way bus and Trolley fares will reach 30%.

MTS spokesperson Hector Zermeno said the Oct. 1 rollout went smoothly. "The rollout of the new fares has been seamless across the MTS transit network," Zermeno said, as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune.

MTS projects $4.6 million a year in new revenue from the hikes, well below the $14 million originally projected before a new low-income discount program was approved. NCTD expects about $600,000, down from a projected $1.22 million, according to the Union-Tribune.

That program, called Pronto Life, launched Oct. 1. It freezes fares at the old $72 monthly rate for riders enrolled in CalFresh, Medi-Cal or CalWORKs who are not already in another reduced-fare program. Pronto Life also caps one-way fares at $2.50 and daily fares at $6, according to the MTS program page.

Pronto Life does not cover the Coaster. The discount applies only to MTS buses, the Trolley and NCTD regional bus services, meaning Del Mar and Solana Beach commuters who rely on the Coaster will pay the full $185 monthly pass.

Nearly 1,400 people had applied for Pronto Life as of Thursday morning, according to Zermeno. MTS and NCTD estimate about 34,000 transit pass holders may qualify. Riders can apply at RidePronto.com or in person at MTS and NCTD customer service locations.

The Youth Opportunity Pass, which lets anyone 18 and younger ride free with a Pronto account, is not affected.

Aria Grossman, policy manager at Circulate Planning & Policy, told The Coast News the hikes were necessary to avoid service cuts. SANDAG said in a statement that the increases will help maintain transit service levels as the agencies face budget challenges.

No specific date has been set for the fall 2027 round of increases.