Topic: WMATA & MTA Maryland Became 1

[Southern Avenue Annex]

Ok I know this isn't the right time to talk about this but I think maybe both TA's should just be 1, called BWATA (Baltimore Washington Area Transit Authority) I think if this had happen there wouldnt be fare increases, no budget gap, no service cuts NOTHING. Maybe everything would be fair to riders, MTA hasn't raised their fare since 2003, WMATA raises their fares almost every year, maybe WMATA needs smarter people to run it I mean for example

$1.70 Cash fare shouldve be the price for an all day pass I mean if your gonna raise fares at least make it easy for those who can't afford to keep money on their smartrip cards.

$6.00 B30/5A Fare How about this charge me that for the ride provide me with a better bus (I personally don't like the D40LFR and Orion VII Suburbans being wasted I mean who said they were meant for express routes only its just a bus sheesh)

Metrorail same as metro bus create an all day pass to make it fair to riders.
Also if metro doesnt want to burn money on paper how about used plastic like the smartrip card, its alot more difficult to lose than a paper pass.

[Scrabbleship]

What the heck do you do with Howard Transit, Connect-a-Ride, and even Annapolis Transit if you do such a merger? It's a pretty big gap between Laurel and Linthicum.

[79MetroExtraMD]

Ok I know this isn't the right time to talk about this but I think maybe both TA's should just be 1, called BWATA (Baltimore Washington Area Transit Authority) I think if this had happen there wouldnt be fare increases, no budget gap, no service cuts NOTHING. Maybe everything would be fair to riders, MTA hasn't raised their fare since 2003, WMATA raises their fares almost every year, maybe WMATA needs smarter people to run it I mean for example

$1.70 Cash fare shouldve be the price for an all day pass I mean if your gonna raise fares at least make it easy for those who can't afford to keep money on their smartrip cards.

$6.00 B30/5A Fare How about this charge me that for the ride provide me with a better bus (I personally don't like the D40LFR and Orion VII Suburbans being wasted I mean who said they were meant for express routes only its just a bus sheesh)

Metrorail same as metro bus create an all day pass to make it fair to riders.
Also if metro doesnt want to burn money on paper how about used plastic like the smartrip card, its alot more difficult to lose than a paper pass.

How would they get funding let alone who would cover for it. Both TAs have different service needs and having one entity for a vast region isn't really cost effective (MTA New York is the sole exception).

[Scrabbleship]

Ok I know this isn't the right time to talk about this but I think maybe both TA's should just be 1, called BWATA (Baltimore Washington Area Transit Authority) I think if this had happen there wouldnt be fare increases, no budget gap, no service cuts NOTHING. Maybe everything would be fair to riders, MTA hasn't raised their fare since 2003, WMATA raises their fares almost every year, maybe WMATA needs smarter people to run it I mean for example

$1.70 Cash fare shouldve be the price for an all day pass I mean if your gonna raise fares at least make it easy for those who can't afford to keep money on their smartrip cards.

$6.00 B30/5A Fare How about this charge me that for the ride provide me with a better bus (I personally don't like the D40LFR and Orion VII Suburbans being wasted I mean who said they were meant for express routes only its just a bus sheesh)

Metrorail same as metro bus create an all day pass to make it fair to riders.
Also if metro doesnt want to burn money on paper how about used plastic like the smartrip card, its alot more difficult to lose than a paper pass.

How would they get funding let alone who would cover for it. Both TAs have different service needs and having one entity for a vast region isn't really cost effective (MTA New York is the sole exception).

Don't forget NJ Transit. DART First State could be lumped in there too.

[WayneNYC]

How would they get funding let alone who would cover for it. Both TAs have different service needs and having one entity for a vast region isn't really cost effective (MTA New York is the sole exception).

To think of New York's MTA as one entity is definitely incorrect.  The MTA is a state level agency which is over NYCTA, MTAB, MNR, LIRR, MTA B&T, LIB and Capital Construction.  Although the bus operations are being merged... all of those agencies are definitely separate bodies.  In fact, I'd say New York's MTA is more like Illinois' RTA.  In my mind the difference between the two are that RTA agencies have their own identity, but it's no longer the case (except internally) with MTA agencies.
 

[Tritransit Area]

How would they get funding let alone who would cover for it. Both TAs have different service needs and having one entity for a vast region isn't really cost effective (MTA New York is the sole exception).

To think of New York's MTA as one entity is definitely incorrect.  The MTA is a state level agency which is over NYCTA, MTAB, MNR, LIRR, MTA B&T, LIB and Capital Construction.  Although the bus operations are being merged... all of those agencies are definitely separate bodies.  In fact, I'd say New York's MTA is more like Illinois' RTA.  In my mind the difference between the two are that RTA agencies have their own identity, but it's no longer the case (except internally) with MTA agencies.

I agree with Wayne...it's more of an RTA thing than anything.  One can have an interesting debate about the "success" of merging everything into the MTA.

[Tritransit Area]

$1.70 Cash fare shouldve be the price for an all day pass I mean if your gonna raise fares at least make it easy for those who can't afford to keep money on their smartrip cards.

$6.00 B30/5A Fare How about this charge me that for the ride provide me with a better bus (I personally don't like the D40LFR and Orion VII Suburbans being wasted I mean who said they were meant for express routes only its just a bus sheesh)

Metrorail same as metro bus create an all day pass to make it fair to riders.
Also if metro doesnt want to burn money on paper how about used plastic like the smartrip card, its alot more difficult to lose than a paper pass.

$1.70 is outrageous for a DAY PASS, especially for a $1.50 fare.  It's not WMATA's responsibility to make fares ridiculously cheap for everyone.  They already get free transfers down there with each fare.  Besides, aren't there institutions that help people who can't afford typical transit costs to get around?  I remember when Smartrip was being forced on the population, WMATA allegedly worked with social services centers to give Smartrips to people for free who weren't able to afford the extra $5.

Remember, the fare increase was because WMATA needed to recoup some of its operations costs to balance the budget.  Honestly, the "problem" fare increase is with the Metrorail, which is starting to become outrageously priced, particularly in the peak (of the peak!) hours.

It's a shame that people consistently want to stick the increase to the "rich Metrorail riders" when, honestly, WMATA is supposed to be a "unified" system.  Do that many people really ride the Metrobus without ever setting foot on the Metrorail?

I do agree about the B30 and 5A increases, though.  Plus there should be a unified Metrorail/Metrobus daypass as well.

[79MetroExtraMD]

$1.70 Cash fare shouldve be the price for an all day pass I mean if your gonna raise fares at least make it easy for those who can't afford to keep money on their smartrip cards.

$6.00 B30/5A Fare How about this charge me that for the ride provide me with a better bus (I personally don't like the D40LFR and Orion VII Suburbans being wasted I mean who said they were meant for express routes only its just a bus sheesh)

Metrorail same as metro bus create an all day pass to make it fair to riders.
Also if metro doesnt want to burn money on paper how about used plastic like the smartrip card, its alot more difficult to lose than a paper pass.

$1.70 is outrageous for a DAY PASS, especially for a $1.50 fare.  It's not WMATA's responsibility to make fares ridiculously cheap for everyone.  They already get free transfers down there with each fare.  Besides, aren't there institutions that help people who can't afford typical transit costs to get around?  I remember when Smartrip was being forced on the population, WMATA allegedly worked with social services centers to give Smartrips to people for free who weren't able to afford the extra $5.

Remember, the fare increase was because WMATA needed to recoup some of its operations costs to balance the budget.  Honestly, the "problem" fare increase is with the Metrorail, which is starting to become outrageously priced, particularly in the peak (of the peak!) hours.

It's a shame that people consistently want to stick the increase to the "rich Metrorail riders" when, honestly, WMATA is supposed to be a "unified" system.  Do that many people really ride the Metrobus without ever setting foot on the Metrorail?

I do agree about the B30 and 5A increases, though.  Plus there should be a unified Metrorail/Metrobus daypass as well.

At least our fares are much lower than BARTs. The highest one-way trip there is 10.55 (Dublin/Ples-SFO) and their fares are the same morning, noon, and night.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

The BART fares to stations in San Mateo County and to SFO are higher than to other parts of that system because San Mateo County is not a BART member (SamTrans sets rates and determines the level of service on that section of the system based on its own funding needs) and because all airport trips have a surcharge.  As a result, the longest trip on BART (Millbrae to Dublin/Pleasanton) is less expensive than the trip from SFO to Dublin/PLeasanton.  Also, that Millbrae to Dublin/Pleasonton trip is 51 miles.  I'm not sure the longest distance you can travel on WMATA between two stations even comes close to being that long.

Another thing about BART fares:  The base $1.75 is charged for the first 6 miles, whereas during the peak, WMATA's base fare is only charged for the first 3 miles.