NCTD lost $4.4 million last year to fare evaders
Free Rides for the Reckless: North County Transit Is Bleeding Cash and Looking the Other Way
If you have been paying your $6.50 fare on the Coaster like a responsible commuter, congratulations — you are officially in the minority. A KPBS investigation has revealed that roughly one-third of Coaster riders and more than half of Sprinter riders have been skipping out on fares since 2023, and the North County Transit District is largely watching it happen without consequence.
That is not an accident. NCTD CEO Shawn Donaghy confirmed the agency has adopted what it calls an "inform not enforce" approach — meaning inspectors can ask passengers to pay, but if a rider says no, the conversation ends there. The reasoning? Assaults on transit employees have tripled since 2018, and management does not want workers putting themselves in harm's way over a $2.50 ticket.
It is a difficult position, and the safety concern is real. But the math is brutal. Last year alone, NCTD lost upward of $4.4 million in fare revenue on just the Coaster and Sprinter. Fare revenues overall have cratered from $18.9 million in 2013 to $11.7 million last year, while operating costs have more than doubled to over $166 million. Fares now cover less than 8% of what it costs to run the system.
Transportation researchers warn this kind of evasion can become self-reinforcing — once it is the norm, paying feels optional. Neighboring MTS cracked down on enforcement last year and saw fare revenue jump by roughly $500,000 per month. The contrast is hard to ignore.
NCTD is now surveying riders about potential fare increases and exploring a pilot program to test fare gating at one of its stations. For those of us who rely on the Coaster to get from Solana Beach to downtown or the Sprinter to reach Escondido without sitting in freeway traffic, the agency's ability to stay financially solvent is not a small thing. Someone has to pay for the trains — and right now, it's mostly the honest passengers and the taxpayers.
Sources: KPBS | Wikipedia/NCTD | Wikipedia/Sprinter | NCTD Security Report FY2024-Q1