With the exception of paratransit, fares for bus and light-rail will increase the first of May.

The Utah Transit Authority board of trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to raise rates for more than a dozen transit services — a move that came after delaying action during their January meeting.

The decision was a disappointment to a handful of advocates for the low-income and disabled, many whom arrived an hour before the meeting to protest in the rain outside UTA headquarters.

"They say they need the fares in order to make ends meet," said Elizabeth Matthews, an advocate with the Crossroads Urban Center. "We say UTA is mismanaged. If they reprioritized and really saw themselves as a public transit system, this wouldn't happen."

Before the meeting, the Crossroads Urban Center filed an open-records request with UTA, seeking information on salary and advertising budgets. The agency's top nine executives make over $100,000, according to the request.

John Inglish, UTA general manager, is paid in excess of $200,000. His counterpart at the Utah Department of Transportation, John Njord, is paid $112,000 a year.

"You have to wonder what the public good is here," said Matthews.

Inglish says he has no shame over his salary. What he is paid is "competitive and fair" when compared to other transit agencies, he said.

"I'm not going to be embarrassed by what this board of directors decides to pay me," he said. "I think it's outrageous what they pay state heads."

While sympathetic to the view of Matthews and other advocates, he said he had no choice but to recommend a fare increase. With rising fuel costs and projects like commuter-rail and light-rail extensions being planned, excess money is hard to find, Inglish said.

"We're raising fares now because costs are going up," he said. "It's either raise revenue or cut $1 million in services."

Even with the fare increases, UTA may look to cut some services in the future.

Ted Loosli, a paratransit rider from West Valley City, said he understands the increases. But it's costly to those who are disabled or on a fixed income, he said.

On May 1, the price of a one-way adult ticket will increase 5 cents to $1.40. In 2006, that price will increase another 10 cents to $1.60. One-way disabled or senior tickets will increase 10 cents in May, then another 5 cents in 2006.

The one-way fare for paratransit will increase five cents in 2006.

"I'm pleased they decided not to raise fares for paratransit riders this year," said Loosli. "But people who are on fixed incomes have less latitude, less choice."