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Orem • Bus and train riders will have a chance Thursday to tell the Utah Transit Authority what they think of UTA's proposed fare hike — in 140 characters or less.

Gerry Carpenter, UTA spokesman, said UTA General Manager Michael Allegra will take part in a Twitter chat about the fare increase at 11 a.m. Thursday. UTA will post from the @rideuta account, and will use the tag #utafare for the discussion. He said the chat will be printed out afterward.

The Twitter chat is one of several forums the authority is using to discuss its plans to increase the base rate 50 cents over the next three years. It is also conducting public hearing in each county in its service area.

UTA's hearing Tuesday at Utah Valley University only attracted one member of the public, and she only wanted to know about bus service, not the rate increase.

"If it is something people are upset about, the crowds are here when you open the door," Carpenter said.

UTA's current bus and TRAX fares cost $2 (plus a temporary 25-cent fuel surcharge). UTA is proposing to raise its base fare for adults in increments to $2.50 by April 1, 2013

Andrea Packer, UTA's communications director, said the rate increase is needed to cover the agency's operating expenses. She said sales tax revenue, which constitutes the bulk of UTA's budget, is down $70 million from what was projected due to the economy.

"It is like the 2006 referendum had never happened," Packer said, referring to the votes in Salt Lake and Utah counties to raise the transit sales tax.

She said the UTA has tried other strategies to reduce expenses, such as freezing wages, reducing service and looking for more efficient ways to do business.

UTA has been criticized by Pamela Atkinson, an advocate for the homeless, who said the increase would hurt low-income residents who rely on the bus and trains for transportation to work.

Packer said the UTA is working with the Department of Workforce Services to identify low-income residents who could qualify for assistance. She said the UTA is also proposing to give Horizon card holders a 25 percent discount on bus passes, instead of the current 16 percent.

dmeyers@sltrib.comtwitter.com/donaldwmeyers Follow the chat on Twitter:

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23utafare