http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-on-foot/2011/01/metro-outlook-2011-budget-aims-to-maintain-current-service-avoid-fare-increases-7200.html (http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-on-foot/2011/01/metro-outlook-2011-budget-aims-to-maintain-current-service-avoid-fare-increases-7200.html)
Near the end of the article they mention that metrorail revenue may be down because riders may be taking shorter rides when possible to save money. This is exactly what we (my wife and I) do each day. I drop her off at Shady Grove most mornings and sometimes she'll ride in with me (allowing me to use the I-270 HOV lane). Each afternoon, I meet her at Tenleytown station and again, she gets to avoid part of that $5.20 one-way fare and we get a fast ride on the I-270 HOV lane.
I'm all for larger subsidies from the jurisdictions and funding streams like gasoline tax, etc.
Wonder if that's not reason enough to finally ditch the mileage charges and other weird pricing (aka peak-peak) once and for all.
At least its not as bad as what Pittsburgh was proposing. They originally had a 35% service reduction on the table for March but was scaled back to about 11% reduction in service. This is after a fare increase on 2 Jan.