PARTA to Resume Fare Collection June 1

Fare collection will resume on Monday, June 1 for PARTA Fixed route and Dial-A-Ride service. Regular fixed route fare is $1 per trip or $2 for an all-day pass on local routes.  Dial-A-Ride fare is $6 per trip.  Express service to Akron and Cleveland remains suspended until further notice.

Kent, Ohio – Thursday, May 21, 2020 – Fare collection will resume on Monday, June 1 for PARTA fixed route and Dial-A-Ride service.  Regular fixed route fare is $1 per trip or $2 for an all-day pass on local routes.  Dial-A-Ride fare is $6 per trip.  Express service to Akron and Cleveland remains suspended until further notice.

Reduced fare is available to adults 65 years of age and older, Medicare card holders, and persons with disabilities.  Reduced fare card holders pay fifty cents per trip for each fixed route ride and $3 for each Dial-A-Ride trip.  Eligible individuals can obtain a reduced fare card by visiting the PARTA administrative offices at 2000 Summit Road in Kent or dialing 330-678-1287.  Applications may also be downloaded at www.partaonline.org.  A valid driver’s license or Medicare card is required for processing.

Medicaid eligible individuals can obtain free medical transportation throughout Portage County via Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NET) provided by PARTA.  More information is also available on the PARTA website or by contacting the PARTA administrative offices.

PARTA suspended fare collection March 18, 2020 due to concerns about possible transmission of the coronavirus (COVID-19) through handling currency and other fare media.  Since then, the transit system has implemented numerous strategies to protect its employees and passengers during the pandemic.  These include regular sanitation of buses, installing shields for drivers, providing drivers with personal protective equipment (PPE) and requesting riders wear a facial covering, maintain social distancing when possible and use hand sanitizer.  Additionally, PARTA is promoting cashless fare payment going forward.   

As fare collection resumes, PARTA encourages riders to use the transit’s mobile ticketing app, EZFare, to avoid the need to handle cash or fare media.  EZfare allows fixed route riders to purchase fares anytime, anywhere using a smartphone.  All PARTA fixed route tickets are available on the app, including full and reduced one-way fares, day passes, and full and reduced monthly passes.

EZFare is free to download for iPhone and android phones.  Tickets purchased through the app may be stored on a smartphone and activated moments before boarding the bus. Detailed information about the app and download links can be found at www.EZfare.us.  Individuals who need assistance with the app may contact PARTA Travel Trainer Carlell Howard by phone at 330-678-7745, ext. 119 or by email at chowar22@partaonline.org.   ​