Summer could bring an entirely new reality for Metro, as the region continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

Metro’s board of directors is set to vote on a final version of its fiscal year 2021 budget this Thursday, likely bringing changes to Metro’s fare structure and service. Once passed, the budget could take effect as early as July.

The proposal, which is an amended version of one put forward by Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld earlier this year, includes a base fare increase and new fare structure for the rail system, a push for more frequent weekend service, and an expansion in late-night rail hours.

The move comes as Metro scrambles to respond to the coronavirus outbreak across the region, scaling back weekday service to Sunday levels on rail and bus, shutting down close to 19 rail stations, and eliminating bus service on the weekend on all but 26 routes.

The agency estimates it’s on track to lose $50 million in a month as a result of increased operational costs and decimated ridership due to the pandemic. Rail ridership is down more than 90 percent compared to levels this time last year. Bus ridership has been as much as 75 percent below last year’s numbers.

It’s far from clear when Metro will be able to return to regular service levels again, and when ridership could rebound—and that uncertainty filtered into the announcement of the Board vote.

“The world has changed since we started this process. This draft budget positions Metro for recovery, and for a day when it is safe for our customers to return and we have demand for more service,” Board Chairman Paul Smedberg said in the announcement. “In passing a budget, we recognize that we may need to revisit the timing of some initiatives based on the economic realities we face in the wake of the pandemic.”

Fare Changes For Commuters, But Not Pass Holders 

The budget includes Metro’s first rail fare increase in three years, affecting travel on the system during peak hours. The proposal would also simplify the mileage tiers used to calculate rail fares.

The base peak fare—the amount you pay for a short trip during rush hour—would increase by 10 cents, from $2.25 to $2.35.

The peak fare for trips which cost the maximum fare would go up by 50 cents, from $6.00 to $6.50. There are no proposed increases in maximum fares for MetroAccess.

Commuters could get slightly increased rail service to accompany the price hike: rush-hour train frequencies would begin at 6 a.m.

The price for rail and bus unlimited passes would remain the same, and Metro is proposing a decrease in the price of a seven-day bus pass to $12.

“Customers can avoid paying more by using passes, as pass prices are not increasing,” a statement from Metro reads.

A Push For Weekend Ridership

Another fare change riders could see under the final budget proposal: a flat $2 weekend rail fare. That’s an increase for some riders taking shorter trips, but a big decrease for riders taking longer ones.

In addition to the fare change, Metro also is pushing for more frequent and longer weekend service on both bus and rail. Trains would run more frequently on Sundays under the proposal, comparable to Saturday frequencies.

The agency is partially granting the wishes of D.C. leaders like Mayor Muriel Bowser and increasing its late night hours, which were cut back significantly during its SafeTrack program to address long-deferred maintenance on the rail system. D.C. politicians and business leaders say that’s taken an economic toll on the city’s nightlife sector and service workers.

Under the budget proposal, Metro would run trains until midnight on weekdays, and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights—almost a return to the 3 a.m. closing time before SafeTrack. On Sundays, the system would close at 11 p.m.

Metro wants to increase the frequency of its buses on highly traveled routes on the weekends, in particular on some MetroExtra routes. It will also cut some bus routes that it says would duplicate the new late-night Metrorail service.

What’s No Longer In The Proposed Budget 

Some ideas from the original budget proposal haven’t carried through to the final version. The Metro Board received 17,000 public comments online and in-person during public hearings ahead of this latest proposal.

Metro originally proposed eliminating or consolidating upwards of 50 bus routes, which would have saved the system $26 million—but that proposal sparked outrage from riders who depend on those routes.

In the latest version, those cuts have been scaled back, though there still will be some, representing a savings of $7.6 million. Few lines would be eliminated outright, though several would see late-night or weekend service reduced.

A 25-cent surcharge for using cash on the bus, either to load a SmarTrip or to pay the fare also was cut from the final version; the proposal was another that provoked concern because of its possible effects on low-income riders.

A separate proposal to make bus-to-rail transfers free appears to have been scaled back in the final version: the discount for transferring could increase, but the cost won’t be eliminated in full, as transit advocates hoped.

This story originally appeared on WAMU.