CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — The Corpus Christi Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Policy Committee will vote Thursday on transit fare increases that have already been approved by the Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority and are set to take effect in January—but committee members won't see a federally-required equity study warning the changes could disproportionately harm the system's most vulnerable riders.
6 Investigates received a tip Monday and began reviewing documents and video from the transit authority's October board meeting. In that video, CCRTA attorney John Bell told staff not to send the equity study to the CCMPO, then added the materials needed to be "discreet and clear."
CCRTA staff also confirmed the CCMPO would only receive information on base fare changes, but not all of the other fare increases approved at that October meeting.
Thursday's MPO agenda confirms that equity study and full list of fare changes are not included in the meeting materials. Three attachments are listed—a fare structure presentation, a one-page summary table, and the CCRTA board resolution—but not the 30-page Title VI Fare Equity Analysis.
The CCRTA Board of Directors approved the fare increases in October. Under a new state law, the MPO's Transportation Policy Committee can only vote down the base fare increase when they meet this week.
If the board takes no action, the base fare will increase from 75 cents to $1.00, a 33% increase. B-Line paratransit fares will jump from $1.25 to $1.75, a 40% increase.
All other changes—transfer fees and pass prices—take effect January 5, 2026, regardless of the CCMPO's action.
Transfers, currently free, will cost 25 cents each. The 31-day pass increases from $30 to $35, and the 7-day pass rises from $7.50 to $10.
Additional increases are planned for January 2028 and January 2030, according to CCRTA's presentation to its board, with the base fare ultimately reaching $1.50 by 2030.
The equity study reveals critical information about who rides CCRTA and how the fare changes will affect them. According to the study, 60% of CCRTA riders earn less than $15,000 annually. Sixty-three percent identify as Hispanic or Latino, and 78% ride the system daily, making them highly dependent on public transit.
The study also found that 90% of riders transfer at least once per day, and nearly half make three or more transfers daily.
"If a fee for transfers is implemented, it would have a disproportionate burden on minority riders," according to the equity study. The study further warns of "a disproportionate burden on the households with the lowest incomes."
The equity analysis notes that "minority riders are more likely to need to take multiple buses to complete a one-way trip than non-minority riders," with 40% of minority respondents making three or more transfers per day compared to 34% of non-minority respondents. That finding takes on added significance given that the CCMPO cannot vote on the transfer fee—only the base fare increase.
CCRTA CEO, Derrick Majchszak, explained the purpose of the equity analysis, noting it was designed to satisfy federal requirements, rather than the state-mandated MPO review.
“The fare equity analysis was really making sure that we did that and satisfying the federal government’s requirements,” Majchszak said. “We wanted to make sure that we were offering the equal number of opportunities for reduced rides. So now we can offer more like seven-day passes, monthly passes for all the different fare categories.”
For a typical daily rider, the combined impact is substantial. Someone making two round-trips per day with one transfer each way currently pays approximately $3.00 per day. Under the proposed structure with transfer fees, that same rider would pay $5.00 per day—a 67% increase. At that rate, a five-day work week would cost $25.00, or $100 per month.
Majchszak addressed concerns about transparency and why the MPO does not receive the full analysis.
“The board needs to know that they’re approving the full set for staff to proceed moving forward, and with the MPO going through that process, they’re approving the max fare. They don’t get to pick and choose about transfers, off-peak, on-peak, reduced or free rides to specific groups. That’s not within their purview to decide,” he added.
According to the study, CCRTA emphasized mitigation measures designed to reduce the impact on vulnerable riders. The GoPass mobile app will cap fares at $35 per month—once a rider spends that amount via the app, additional rides are free. Transfers would be free for two hours for GoPass users, offsetting the new 25-cent transfer fee for cash riders. And passengers 65 and older will ride free, compared to the current 10 to 25 cents depending on time of day.
But the equity study reveals a significant limitation to these protections. According to ridership data in the study, only 7.73% of riders currently use the GoPass mobile app. That means more than 92% of riders are not using the technology that would provide the proposed fare protections.
The equity study notes that app-based solutions require a smartphone and a bank account or credit card—potential barriers for the riders that the equity study says need protection most.
MPO Transportation Planning Director Robert MacDonald told 6 Investigates that the equity study was not part of the materials CCRTA submitted for the committee's review.
Majchszak emphasized that fare increases have been delayed for nearly 20 years, and CCRTA has invested heavily in improvements.
“Over the last few years, we’ve increased security at stations, added new buses, and installed nearly 400 shelters across the community," Majchszak said. "All of these things cost money. Nobody likes raising rates, but the fact that we weren’t able to do it for 20 years is part of why this increase is necessary.”
The last time CCRTA increased its base fare was in 2006, when it rose from 50 cents to 75 cents. Adjusted for inflation, the 2006 base fare would equal $1.20 in 2025, according to CCRTA's presentation.
Under Texas Transportation Code, changes to the single-ride base fare take effect on the 60th day after board approval unless the Policy Board of the Metropolitan Planning Organization that serves the area disapproves the fare or change to the fare by a majority vote. However, the statute only gives the CCMPO authority over the base fare. All other changes are not subject to CCMPO approval.
The CCMPO Transportation Policy Committee will meet Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. in the Corpus Christi City Hall Council Chambers. Public comments may be submitted in writing to ccmpo@cctxmpo.us at least one hour before the meeting, or by completing a comment card at the meeting.
