San Diego's Metropolitan Transit System will provide an administrative process for eligible riders cited for certain fare violations, rather than sending those cases through criminal court, after its board of directors approved a new penalty program Thursday that caps fines at $125 per citation. The vote, announced Thursday, marks the end of a years-long push by local officials to treat missed trolley and bus fares as a civil matter rather than a criminal one.
The MTS Board of Directors reviewed a proposed Ordinance No. 15 on Thursday, according to the San Diego Metropolitan Transit System. The board said the penalty program provides an administrative process for certain fare and passenger conduct violations, shifting eligible cases away from criminal enforcement, as reported by FOX 5 San Diego. Eligible riders cited for certain violations can instead go through an administrative review process rather than face criminal court proceedings, per that outlet's reporting.
A Years-Long Push From the Board
San Diego County Supervisor Monica Montgomery Steppe, who serves as MTS chair pro tem, has pushed for this change since 2019, FOX 5 San Diego reports. “A $3 fare should not lead to hundreds or thousands of dollars in fines and fees,” Montgomery Steppe said, according to the station. She added that the shift marks a significant step toward fairer and more proportionate fare enforcement, particularly for people facing financial hardship.
Montgomery Steppe said the change aims to prevent missed transit fares from becoming financial burdens that follow people for years, per a news release cited by the station. The new process will allow installment payments, deferred payments, and community service options for riders who can't afford to pay, FOX 5 San Diego notes. Unpaid citations may still be sent to collections, and penalties can include late and collection fees, but the total penalty is capped at $125 per citation, per MTS.
A Slow Rollout, Set for 2029
Despite Thursday's vote, riders won't see the new system in place for years. MTS plans a two-year procurement period to acquire the technology, equipment, and services needed to run the program, and the administrative penalty program isn't expected to take effect until 2029, according to the station's report. Under the approved implementation plan, MTS plans to procure the technology, equipment, and services needed for the program.
The timing coincides with a fare increase that already took effect countywide. San Diego County public transit fares rose on October 1, with the one-way adult fare climbing to $3.25 to help address upcoming budget and funding issues, the station reports.
Why MTS Is Moving Away From Criminal Citations
The push to decriminalize fare evasion traces back to concerns about who was actually getting cited. A 2020 Voice of San Diego analysis found that Black riders received 32% of MTS quality-of-life citations while representing just 12% to 14% of overall transit ridership, a disparity that drove long-term local advocacy for an alternative to criminal enforcement. Montgomery Steppe had advocated for an alternative to criminal enforcement since 2019.
MTS's new administrative model operates under California Public Utilities Code Section 99580. The program caps each citation at $125 and offers community service or installment payment plans.
The Money Problem That Started It All
MTS's reform effort was also driven by a steep revenue shortfall. An internal MTS analysis completed in late 2024 estimated the agency lost between $17 million and $23 million in revenue to fare evasion between May 2022 and July 2024, with an estimated 57,000 monthly riders not paying unless expressly checked. Before that reform push, riders stopped for nonpayment were routinely allowed to buy a ticket on the spot without any fine attached.
That changed on February 1, 2025, when MTS eliminated on-board ticket purchases during security checks, as Times of San Diego reported at the time. Inspectors began issuing immediate citations carrying a $25 fine through diversion, or up to $192 or more if the case moved to traffic court — a shift that primarily affected trolley riders who had previously avoided penalties by paying when confronted.
Uneven Fare Collection Across the Region
Fare collection in the region remains uneven. In neighboring North County Transit District, fare evasion on Coaster and Sprinter trains dropped to under 2% when strict enforcement was applied, though that agency faced surging fare evasion and missing historic data this year due to legacy software limitations, KPBS reported. NCTD and MTS share regional fare technology infrastructure but operate under separate governing boards.
