The Public Transportation Advisory Commission agreed with the City Council’s recommendation to eliminate half-fare eligibility for students above the age of 18 at its meeting Aug. 25 to review the transit budget proposed by City Manager Mike Matthes.

In a meeting summary provided by commission member Erika Van Vranken, the commission recommended maintaining half-fare eligibility for elderly persons, persons with disabilities and Medicare recipients.

Student customers will see a 200 percent fare increase, according to a City Council presentation at the Aug. 22 meeting. The Gold and Black transit routes, which cater predominantly to students living off campus, are nearly 100 percent half-fare.

“Everyone was in agreement with eliminating half fare for students,” the Commission’s MU representative Jim Joy said. “We did not want to see half-fare eligibility be removed from people with disabilities.”

Columbia Disabilities Commission members present at the Advisory Commission meeting expressed how critical it was to maintain a half-fare fee for those with disabilities, Joy said.

The Disabilities Commission also drafted a letter to the Columbia City Council, which it received last week.

“We all received a letter from Homer Page, the (chairman) of the Disabilities Commission, expressing his concern over possible route changes and fare changes to the transit system,” Third Ward City Councilor Gary Kespohl said.

Paratransit fares are proposed to increase $1 per rider. The revenue the city receives per ride averages $4.32, but the actual cost per ride averages $35.79, Kespohl said.

“We believe this increase is justified,” Kespohl said.

Along with fare increases for all riders, Matthes’ proposed $406 million budget includes reduction in the amount of miles covered and the elimination of evening service Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“The Public Transportation Advisory Commission recognizes the budget situation and that cuts are necessary,” Van Vranken said in her meeting summary. “But we are very concerned with a reduction in the operating hours, particularly evening hours.”

Under the current proposal, weekend service would end at 6:25 p.m. to mirror weekday service.

The Advisory Commission’s response to the budget for fiscal year 2012 will be submitted at the Sept. 6 City Council public budget meeting, Transportation Supervisor Drew Brooks said.

“The commission is very supportive for trying to prepare transit for the upcoming year,” Joy said. “We support continuing to look at this issue.”