King County Metro Transit is advising passengers of fare changes starting in January 2011.

Beginning Jan. 1, all adult Metro riders will see a $0.25 fare increase. Fares for other Metro products, such as passes and ticketbooks, will also increase. Youth fares will remain unchanged.

Fares will also be changing for Access customers. Access fares will increase by $0.25 and monthly passes will cost $45.

While cash fares will remain at $0.75 for seniors and those who qualify for reduced fares, monthly passes will be going up. Beginning with January 2011 pass purchases, those customers will need to purchase monthly $27 ORCA PugetPasses good for travel on six transit systems in the region. This will be a significant step in achieving regional fare coordination for all bus and light rail travel on Metro and Sound Transit service within King County.

This fare increase is one way that Metro is using to ease the effects of a severe budget shortfall. Customers can find out more about ORCA cards by visiting www.orcacard.com or by calling 1-888-988-6722.

For more information, go to http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bus/fare/fare-info.html.