thirsty moore
Joined: January 11, 2000 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 6131
Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 05:48 PM UTC
#
Metro Proposes Increase in Fares, Fees
Rider Rates Would Rise For 2nd Straight Year By Lyndsey Layton
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, February 20, 2004; Page B01
Basic subway and bus fares could rise by as much as 15 cents and daily parking fees could increase as much as $2.30 under a proposal made yesterday by the Metro board of directors.
bags
Joined: October 30, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 8545
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 05:56 PM UTC
#
I think the problem is that the last rate hike wasn't high enough. Our commuting prices on a relative basis are extremely low (and it stayed at $1.10 for basic fare for close to 10 years…). I think they need to do this.
If you use metro a lot, service decreases would be a far less satisfying answer. And unlike the feds, I guess the metro can't run at continuously increasing deficits.
I wish/would have thought that the nutso ad strategies they're developing would cover more of the cost gap, though.
These are the discussions that must be fascinating to witness:
"D.C. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), who represents the District on the Metro board, refused to support the fare and fee proposals, saying he could not agree to any plan that raises fares for Metrobus riders. He said bus riders often have no alternatives to public transportation and are disproportionately poor compared with rail riders.
"I'm speaking on behalf of the single parent with five children who boards the bus," Graham said. "It's not right that the poor working mother has to go out and carry the burden. We can find this money elsewhere. . . . I don't know why those least able to pay have to shoulder this burden."
But Fairfax County Supervisor T. Dana Kauffman (D-Lee), who represents Fairfax on the board, disagreed. "Not everyone who parks in our lots has a Lexus, and there are some people on those Connecticut Avenue buses who have more money than those of us sitting around this circle," he said."
ratioci nation
Joined: November 22, 2002 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4463
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 05:59 PM UTC
#
lets put tolls on all the bridges and pay for it that way
:D
godsshoeshine
Joined: September 18, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4826
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 06:08 PM UTC
#
metro always seemed pricy to me. can't get from vienna to a wiz game on a $5 card. public transportation is always a loser when they cut publicly funded programs, though. also, they need a stop in bailey's crossroads.
ggw
Joined: December 16, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 14237
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 06:09 PM UTC
#
They should add a convenience fee on parking tickets.
vansmack
Joined: October 04, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 19725
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 06:10 PM UTC
#
Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
also, no one should ever stop in bailey's crossroads.
I agree.
ratioci nation
Joined: November 22, 2002 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4463
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 06:11 PM UTC
#
Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
metro always seemed pricy to me.
I would pay twice as much, if only every city could have it, problem is in cities like St. Louis it gets blocked because the white folks in the western counties don't want people to come in to their neighborhood
instead you get to wait in 45 minutes of traffic to go to a baseball game downtown
mankie
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 06:16 PM UTC
#
A fare increase for the trains I can understand, but to increase parking by $2.30 per day will just about take away any incentive to ride the metro to work…you may as well stay in your car, drive all the way to work and pay the same to park down town. My wife already has to leave two hours before she starts work just to be able to get a parking spot…and she mentioned this morning after we saw this on the news that if parking does go up…again…she will probably just drive all the way down town and be able to leave home 30 minutes later, because there won't be much savings at that point. I know she's not the only one in this situation because the car park is chocker every morning except Friday.
Way to help reduce morning traffic Metro!
Random Citizen
Joined: Unknown
Posts: 0
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 06:20 PM UTC
#
As I was walking up the Dupont Circle-South exit steps this morning (because the escalator was down…again), I had to laugh. If the fares do increase, every goddamn escalator within the Metrorail system had better be in working order! Perhaps if they fired some of the know-nothing "station managers," they'd have more cash to fill that budget gap.
markie
Joined: October 15, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 13178
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 06:27 PM UTC
#
So the cheapest rush hour fare will be $1.50. So the cheapest commute will be $3 a day. Thats a gallon and a half of gas…. Gas has to be more expensive for it to be worth using public transport, cos it sure is difficult to compete with the convenience.
government workers get free metro cards and sell them on craigslist. I wonder what value of cards are handed out free, and how many of them are then sold on?
Rhett Miller
Joined: November 15, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 17762
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 06:41 PM UTC
#
Try paying for the gas, parking, and wear and tear on car for the Vienna to a Wiz game on $5.
Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
metro always seemed pricy to me. can't get from vienna to a wiz game on a $5 card. public transportation is always a loser when they cut publicly funded programs, though. also, they need a stop in bailey's crossroads.
ggw
Joined: December 16, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 14237
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 06:47 PM UTC
#
Originally posted by Rutherford J. Balls:
Try paying for the gas, parking, and wear and tear on car for the Vienna to a Wiz game on $5.
Vienna is about 12 miles to the MCI center. Assuming 20 mpg, that's 1.2 gallons.
Assuming $1.75/gallon = $2.10
Wear and tear amortization is about $0.12/mile. For 24 miles = $2.88
Street parking is free after 6:30 (or so).
$2.10 + $2.88 = $4.98
markie
Joined: October 15, 2001 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 13178
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 07:02 PM UTC
#
the metro journey (Gallery Place-Vienna) is $2.20 regular time $3.35 rush hour….
my car gets 30mpg and the maintainance for 3 years is already paid for….
ratioci nation
Joined: November 22, 2002 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4463
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 07:05 PM UTC
#
Originally posted by mark e smith:
the metro journey (Gallery Place-Vienna) is $2.20 regular time $3.35 rush hour….
my car gets 30mpg and the maintainance for 3 years is already paid for….
yes but what about the medical bills for the lungs of future generations, WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN
wake up and smell the coming ice age
anybody know of any open street corners and have some posterboard I can use?
ggw
Joined: December 16, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 14237
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 07:07 PM UTC
#
Originally posted by pollard:
Originally posted by mark e smith:
the metro journey (Gallery Place-Vienna) is $2.20 regular time $3.35 rush hour….
my car gets 30mpg and the maintainance for 3 years is already paid for….
yes but what about the medical bills for the lungs of future generations, WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN
wake up and smell the coming ice age
anybody know of any open street corners and have some posterboard I can use?
I thought that driving actually reduced the likelihood of a coming ice-age by producing greenhouse gases and thus raising the earth's temperature?
Rhett Miller
Joined: November 15, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 17762
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 07:07 PM UTC
#
According to the Metro website, the distance the train travels from Vienna to Gallery Place is 14.3 miles. Are you saying you can drive a more direct route (12 miles) than the train does?
If you're going to a Wiz game, that one $3.35 peak fare and one $2.20 fare (assuming you're going on a weeknight. Also, parking is $3 at metro. So isn't it worth $3.50 extra not to have to deal with driving in traffic?
Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Originally posted by Rutherford J. Balls:
Try paying for the gas, parking, and wear and tear on car for the Vienna to a Wiz game on $5.
Vienna is about 12 miles to the MCI center. Assuming 20 mpg, that's 1.2 gallons.
Assuming $1.75/gallon = $2.10
Wear and tear amortization is about $0.12/mile. For 24 miles = $2.88
Street parking is free after 6:30 (or so).
$2.10 + $2.88 = $4.98
ratioci nation
Joined: November 22, 2002 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4463
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 07:08 PM UTC
#
Originally posted by ggwâ?¢:
Originally posted by pollard:
[qb] I thought that driving actually reduced the likelihood of a coming ice-age by producing greenhouse gases and thus raising the earth's temperature?
which melts the polar ice caps, lowering the temperatures in normally warmer waters further south and disrupts the global climate, and makes Europe freeze over
godsshoeshine
Joined: September 18, 2003 at 05:01 AM UTC
Posts: 4826
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 07:09 PM UTC
#
and i work in tyson's corner. so i am driving to the metro from there and from home (bailey's). honestly, i wouldn't mind the fees so much if it didn't take like 45 minutes to get back to vienna. going to pentagon city if i am begining from home is much more pleasant. and those prices are per person. usually i drag my girlfriend along
ggw
Joined: December 16, 2001 at 06:01 AM UTC
Posts: 14237
Re: Metro Proposes Increase in Fares
February 20, 2004 at 07:11 PM UTC
#
Originally posted by pollard:
and makes Europe freeze over
That's a good thing, yes?