< p>Metro riders can expect to pay more for their trips starting July 1, after a Metro committee approved of a slate of fare hikes on Thursday.

The hikes still need the rubber stamp of a full board vote later this month, but the unanimous approval at the committee level signals it will pass.

Under the plan, peak rail fares are rising 5.7 percent from a minimum of $1.95 to $2.10, The maximum fare rises to $5.75.

But riders will no longer have to pay the 20-cent peak of the peak surcharge for the busiest times of day.

Off-peak riders will pay from $1.70 to $3.50.

Bus riders will pay a dime extra, meaning $1.60 for SmarTrip riders and $1.80 for those paying cash.

The biggest change, though, will hit the less frequent riders who use paper farecards on the rail system. They will now pay $1 extra for each trip.

The hikes are somewhat tempered from initial proposals: bus riders who pay cash won some reprieve getting a fare hike of a dime, not 30 cents as proposed and MetroAccess riders will still pay double rail and bus fare but the fares will be capped at $7.