San Joaquin rail panel to vote on ACE train fare hike

MODESTO -- Tickets for Bay Area-bound commuter trains could go up 10 percent, according to a proposal up for a vote Friday.

If approved, one-way Altamont Commuter Express fares from Lathrop to Livermore would jump from $7.75 to $8.50; monthly passes to San Jose would increase from $287.50 to $316.25.

The change could affect 126 riders from Stanislaus County, or about 7 percent of ACE's usual ridership of 1,800. Stations include Stockton, Tracy, Pleasanton, Fremont, Great America and Santa Clara, with three trains daily each way.

The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission last raised fares by 3.2 percent 3½ years ago and has held off since because of the recession, despite diesel prices climbing 89 percent in that time frame, a report says.

Also, the system hopes to add a fourth daily train, cafe services and Internet access, said spokesman Thomas Reeves, "so there are service-related improvements as well."

During a public comment period, some passengers urged less dramatic jumps over a longer period. Some said they are making do with leaner paychecks and warned rail officials that riders could opt to drive, with gas prices having dropped.

Rail officials hope eventually to extend ACE tracks to Stanislaus County, where a compatible depot also could accommodate bullet trains on a line from Sacramento to Southern California.

The commission meets at 8 a.m. Friday in the South Hall chamber at Robert Cabral Station, 949 E. Channel St., Stockton. To learn more, see www.acerail.com.