BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced today an increase in the fare for LA Swift and the opening of a new park-and-ride stop in Gonzales.

Beginning Oct. 6, the cost to ride LA Swift will increase from $5 to $6 per one-way trip. The change in fare is a result of the increase in fuel costs for the service. The new fare applies to all riders, regardless of where they board or exit. Children under 3 will be allowed to ride for free if they sit on an adult’s lap.

Drivers are not able to provide change. All fares are handled by a Genfare machine located on the bus. Passengers insert cash or tickets into the machine when boarding and will receive a Genfare card for the difference. The Genfare card can be used on a future trip along with cash.

Also beginning Oct. 6, LA Swift will open a new park-and-ride stop at the Home Depot parking lot on La. 30 in Gonzales. A second park-and-ride stop is located at the Home Depot parking lot at 18139 Highland Road in Baton Rouge. However, DOTD has decided to close the park-and-ride stop at Convention Street in Baton Rouge because of low ridership.

Riders may board or exit buses at additional non-park-and-ride stops in Baton Rouge, Sorrento, LaPlace and New Orleans. For detailed route and schedule information or for any other questions, visit www.laswift.com or call LA Swift at 1-877-94-SWIFT (1-877-947-9438).

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www.dotd.la.gov