Apparently, the world won't come to an end for BART riders on July 1. It seems the strike probably, most likely for all intents and purposes won't happen. (That is some shitty news, Bay Area bloggers and media outlets. A Bay Area-wide public transportation meltdown would've been traffic gold during the holiday week. Alas.) But do you know what will happen on Wednesday? Wide-reaching fare increases. Yay! What are those changes, you ask? Akit's Complaint Department has the lowdown. the skinny. the scoop. On Muni, Adult fare (cash) goes up to $2; the same goes for AC Transit. Ferry service goes up a tiny bit. And BART will see a 6.1% fare increase for all riders (that is to say, "Inter San Francisco fare increases to $1.75." (Which, as Akit points out, is still cheaper than Muni.) Read more about the changes, right here.

Have you heard that BART and Muni fares are increasing? A news story that seems to pop up at least once a month? Or not? Anyway, BART prices will increase on July 1. And Muni will jump to $2 on July 1 as well. We're sure it's way more complicated than we could possibly imagine, rife with locals politicking, Excel spreadsheets, and lots of chin scratching. But feel free to lose your proverbial shit over the increase in the comments, even though both fares are still pretty damn cheap compared to other big cities. (Or not.)

Can you guess what it is?

If you guessed price, then you're right. The March 2009 Muni Fast Pass (a calming mix of sea green and sky blue) is missing its $45 tag. Why? Well, according to SFMTA spokesperson Judson True, it's part of a tiny fare increase. "Last year as part of a 2-year budget our Board of Directors approved a Fast Pass increase from $45 to $55 beginning July 1, 2009," he tells SFist. "Discount passes (Senior, Youth, Disabled) will go from $10 to $15." Muni will be doing "extensive public information outreach" in the coming months.

Now you know.

(Thanks, Chris Iverson, for sending this our way.)