Encinitas commuters riding the COASTER will pay a single $6.50 flat fare starting Oct. 1, no matter how far they travel.

The North County Transit District (NCTD) announced the change on Sept. 8, confirming that the commuter rail line will eliminate its zone-based pricing system in favor of one fare for all trips. The new one-way price matches what had been the highest-tier Zone 3 fare.

For riders who previously traveled shorter distances at lower zone prices, the shift means paying more per trip. Riders making longer trips, such as Encinitas to downtown San Diego, will see no increase.

Senior, disabled and Medicare-recipient riders will pay $3.25 per one-way trip under the new structure. Monthly passes will rise to $185 for adults and $60 for those riders.

The Youth Opportunity Pass for riders 18 and younger will remain active, subject to funding. Fares also will not change for adults enrolled in CalFresh, Medi-Cal or CalWORKs.

Budget pressure behind the change

The fare restructuring is one piece of NCTD's response to a looming budget gap. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported in July that the district faces a projected $7.7 million deficit in fiscal 2027-28, growing to more than $33 million by fiscal 2030-31 without changes to operations or revenue.

NCTD Chief of Staff Mary Dover described the pressure at the board's July 2026 meeting, as reported by the Union-Tribune. "Transit agencies nationwide are experiencing budget shortfalls, in part due to declining sales tax revenue, inflation, rising costs in general, and uncertain state and federal funding sources, among other factors," Dover said.

Fare revenue accounts for only about 8 percent of NCTD's budget. NCTD officials told the Union-Tribune that when fares rise, ridership typically drops and initially offsets the added revenue.

The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Transportation Committee approved the fare changes on July 19, and the full SANDAG board ratified them on July 24.

The changes come in two stages. The initial round takes effect with the flat-fare switch; a second round of increases begins Oct. 1, 2027, when monthly bus passes for NCTD's Breeze service will rise to $95 for adults and $30 for senior and disabled riders.

Jim O'Hara represents Encinitas on the NCTD Board of Directors.

The board's next regular meeting is Thursday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. at NCTD Administrative Offices, 810 Mission Ave., Oceanside.