LAFAYETTE, IN — Fares for CityBus riders will increase in 2026, with prices doubling for some rider pass categories.
A rider alert sent out Wednesday said several categories are slated to double in price, and others are set to nearly double.
During an October Lafayette City Council meeting, CityBus CEO Bryan Smith said the department’s 2026 budget would face a shortfall. That prediction was made after the loss of CityBus’ contract with Purdue as the university’s campus transportation provider.
“If you look, as you predict, going out further all the way through 2028, for example, we have some funds to get through (local income tax) and those end in 2028,” Smith told the city council in October. “Rather than choose to do small reductions every year, our goal is to do the reduction that we’ll need to do with this budget and then have a planning study help us determine where a level of service can be that we can sustain for at least five and hopefully longer years.”
Here is how rider fares will be affected by the 2026 fare structure changes.
Regular fare
Valid for two hours after activation, the brief pass will double from $1 to $2.
Ivy Tech students, faculty and staff
Ivy Tech affiliates will continue to have free rider fare in 2026 with a valid photo ID.
1-day pass
Single-day passes will double from $2 to $4.
31-day pass
Although not quite doubled, one-month passes will increase from $28 to $50.
Semester pass
A longer-term option for Purdue students, faculty and staff, the semester pass will increase from $99 to $155. In August, Purdue agreed to subsidize half of the current semester pass price for the fall semester, but capping the offer to the first 10,000 passes purchased.
Purdue spokesman Trevor Peters said the university will again subsidize the cost of a semester pass in the spring. In an email sent to Purdue students on Dec. 2, university officials said the university will cover a portion of the pass, $63, when bought through CityBus’ EZFare app using a Purdue email address.
The decision to continue subsidizing CityBus passes, the email said, came after meeting with Purdue student government leaders and the university’s Action Council for Student Housing and Well-Being.
“There are multiple transportation companies offering different levels of service and price,” the email said. “Purdue will look toward those with a focus on enhanced service and affordability. More details will follow before the fall 2026 semester.”
6-month pass
A new option, CityBus riders will be able to buy a six-month pass, lasting either from January to June or from July to December, for $178.
Jillian Ellison is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. She can be reached via email at jellison@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette’s CityBus to raise prices for 2026, with some fares doubling
Reporting by Jillian Ellison, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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