They're paying enough.

It's time for those who actually ride the buses to contribute a bit more to maintain routes and improve service.

That's what Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's proposal for a modest fare hike would do. As part of his 2009 budget plan, the mayor wants to boost the basic cash fare by 50 cents to $2 per ride.

Bus users have been paying the same basic rate -- $1.50 -- since 2000. It hasn't gone up even a penny.

During that same time, the cost for an unlimited monthly bus pass increased just once. It went from $39 to $47 in 2005.

Meantime, city property taxpayers have paid millions more to keep Metro Transit rolling. The city's annual subsidy has jumped nearly 70 percent -- to more than $10 million -- since 2000.

That's not fair.

It's time for the City Council and city Transit and Parking Commission to get behind the mayor's reasonable proposal.

Even with the 50 cent fare hike, property taxpayers who don't ride the bus will have to pay more. The mayor's budget proposes $410,000 in additional money for Metro Transit next year -- a 4.2 percent boost.

Unlike property taxpayers who don't ride the bus, bus users also will get more bang for their buck.

The mayor's proposal commits $150,000 from the higher bus fare revenue to improve and add routes. In addition, the mayor will hire a marketing specialist to recruit more businesses to buy bus passes for their employees at a bulk rate. That should increase ridership and maybe even pay for itself.

And the mayor would add $100,000 for better security at transfer points to improve rider safety.

On top of that, a fund to help the homeless and poor afford bus rides to work would double to $80,000. That would mean an additional 600 people would get help with transportation.

If critics of the mayor's plan don't want to increase the a bus fare that has been flat for nearly a decade, then they will have to cut bus service to balance the books.

Going back to hit up city property taxpayers for even more than they're already paying isn't the answer.