Riders will see increase of FACT fares in July Author: Mark Hoffmann Source: Daily Courier Date: May 24, 2012 Riders who use Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation will see an increase in fares beginning in July. Fixed route fares will be increasing by 10 cents bringing rates from $1.40 to $1.50.  Fares now at $1.90 will increase to $2. A Pittsburgh pass, which consists of 10 trips, will increase from $45 to $50.  Local passes, which are unlimited rides for 30 days, will remain the same rate of $45. The shared ride fares will increase 50 cents per trip.  Riders will pay an extra 10 cents in the co-pay while PennDOT or an agency sponsor will cover the other additional 40-cent increase costs. Lori Groover-Smith, FACT director, said this is the first increase since 2008. "It's really overdue," Smith said. Smith said PennDOT suggests a rate increase every two years as a way to avoid a large increase. But Smith said the increases planned are not extravagant. Increases will go into effect July 1. Also in July, a section of the Uniontown B/Nemacolin route will be eliminated.  The area affected is Furnace Road, Little Brownfield, Country Club Boulevard/Derrick Avenue, Morgantown Street and Uniontown Shopping Center. "Ridership is very low in that corridor," said Kim Renze, operations manager for FACT.  Renze said the service changes on that route will increase the time frame with an additional five minutes on every trip and will better serve the workers taking that route to jobs at Nemacolin Woodlands. For the upcoming fiscal year, FACT will receive a total of $1,402,718 in operating assistance with $701,359 in federal funding, $490,952 from the state and $210,407 in local funding. Those funds will help to provide transit bus services throughout the county. For capital assistance, the organization will receive a total of $258,518 to be used for the purchasing of needed equipment, vehicles, maintenance for the facility and maintain the parking lot at the facility. For capital assistance, FACT will receive $206,814 in federal funding, $43,172 in state funding and $8,532 in local funding. FACT will purchase two shared ride vehicles totaling $180,000 through community transportation capital funding.