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Valley Metro plans to implement a fare increase on March 1, the agency's first since 2009.

The current one-ride fare will increase by 25 cents on the local bus/LINK/light-rail service, and by 50 cents on Express/RAPID service,
Valley Metro officials said in a press release.

The fare hike is necessary to maintain existing services while also covering rising operating costs, said Chief Executive Officer Steve Banta.

"We realize that increasing fares can be challenging for our transit riders," he said.

Meanwhile, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) was scheduled to hold a public hearing this morning to solicit input on extending the agency's inflation-based fare increase program and modifying its paid-parking policies.

Under the fare-increase program, BART fares would increase in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020 by amounts determined by a productivity-adjusted Consumer Price Index-based formula, BART officials said in a press release.

The proposed change to the paid parking programs calls for an increase in up to 50-cent increments for daily parking fees and reserved permits at lots that are consistently full, they said.