Iowa City-area residents could soon pay more for local transportation.

The Iowa City City Council will vote on the first consideration of an ordinance increasing transit fares at its next meeting, March 6.

The proposed transit fee rate increase would help fund the gap created by transit operations moving from government activity to a business activity.

City officials wrote they would like to see user fees cover 30 to 35 percent of actual transit operation costs.

The last transit fee increase was in 1996.

— by Kristen East