The Sound Transit Board approved a $1 base fare in September 2013, taking effect the following year and rising to $1.50 in 2016, to raise enough revenue to cover fare enforcement and installation of ticket vending machines. The proposed fare was unpopular with riders, business owners, and local boosters due to the potential impact on tourism, with a predicted 25 percent drop in ridership. Before the fare could take effect, the Downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area agreed to subsidize the difference in revenue by paying $29,000 annually to Sound Transit for two years of free fares.