Save The WTA is a grassroots campaign of riders, students, and community members fighting to keep Whatcom Transportation Authority buses affordable and accessible.
WTA is proposing to double fares from $1 to $2, raise costs for seniors and disabled riders, and end the universal WWU student bus pass. Those changes would push people off the bus and make it harder to get to work, school, and appointments.
We’re calling on the WTA Board, local elected officials, and WWU to stop the fare hikes and negotiate a new, fair student bus pass that keeps transit within reach for everyone.
In 2026, WTA plans to end WWU’s universal student bus pass and double base fares system-wide. Instead of riding on a prepaid pass, students would be told to tap a card and pay $2 per ride (capped at $6/day and $60/month). Reduced fares would jump to $1, and paratransit fares to $3 per ride.
This plan will cost many students hundreds more per year, with some paying an estimated 550% more for the same bus service. It will push riders back into cars, increase traffic and emissions, and hit seniors, disabled riders, and low-income workers the hardest. It also clashes with WWU’s and Bellingham’s climate and equity goals.