NEW FARES AGAIN .....

[Tritransit Area]

Well at least the fare increase won't last long. It's from Feb. 28 to June 26.

OMG, February 28th?!  That's just two weeks away.  Do you guys have any ideas on what the fares will be?

[WMATAGMOAGH]

It is a 10 cent surcharge.  Details are on the WMATA site.

Anyone who thinks the fares will decrease on June 27 is delirious IMHO.

[Scrabbleship]

It is a 10 cent surcharge.  Details are on the WMATA site.

Anyone who thinks the fares will decrease on June 27 is delirious IMHO.

Anyone who thinks the fares won't increase further on June 27 might be slightly delusional, IMO.

[Tritransit Area]

It is a 10 cent surcharge.  Details are on the WMATA site.

Anyone who thinks the fares will decrease on June 27 is delirious IMHO.

Anyone who thinks the fares won't increase further on June 27 might be slightly delusional, IMO.

I agree with both of you!

[WayneNYC]

If they know they're going to increase fares again a couple of months later, why not have one fare increase.  I say this because they're expenses associated with the fare increase.  Why do it twice within a 3-month timeframe?  If they're unsure of what will happen later (including the percentage of the second increase), perhaps they should wait a bit longer (closer to 6/27) to increase the fares.

[Scrabbleship]

If they know they're going to increase fares again a couple of months later, why not have one fare increase.  I say this because they're expenses associated with the fare increase.  Why do it twice within a 3-month timeframe?

The way Metro's phrasing this fare increase is that it'd expire on June 26th and it'd revert to the current fares. With a MASSIVE budget shortfall coming and the idea that Doomsday might become real, I can't see rolling it back, they'll like the literal nickels and dimes (and more for passes) a bit too much.

Multiple fare increases in one year aren't that uncommon, besides the obvious VRE example I remember reading how ages ago (early 80's I think) CTA had to raise fares twice in 6 months. Wasn't there also a time in NYC's nadir of the late 70's-early 80's that they had fare increases in back to back years too?

[Tritransit Area]

If they know they're going to increase fares again a couple of months later, why not have one fare increase.  I say this because they're expenses associated with the fare increase.  Why do it twice within a 3-month timeframe?  If they're unsure of what will happen later (including the percentage of the second increase), perhaps they should wait a bit longer (closer to 6/27) to increase the fares.

There must be a severe deficit in this fiscal year's budget for them to do such a thing now, rather than later.

[WayneNYC]

Multiple fare increases in one year aren't that uncommon, besides the obvious VRE example I remember reading how ages ago (early 80's I think) CTA had to raise fares twice in 6 months. Wasn't there also a time in NYC's nadir of the late 70's-early 80's that they had fare increases in back to back years too?

Hard to recall which fare(s), but I believe it was either the .75 or .90 fare that was increased quickly.  However, I don't recall NYCTA putting the new fare in place and publicly announcing another increase to come shortly thereafter.

[WMATAGMOAGH]

If they know they're going to increase fares again a couple of months later, why not have one fare increase.  I say this because they're expenses associated with the fare increase.  Why do it twice within a 3-month timeframe?  If they're unsure of what will happen later (including the percentage of the second increase), perhaps they should wait a bit longer (closer to 6/27) to increase the fares.

Wayne,

I agree with you, but I think the way the budget rules work forces them to do it this way.

My only hope is Jim Graham doesn't keep the next fare increase low for the benefit of his constituents.  At some point, he just needs to accept that service needs to be cut and fares need to go up for everyone, and that the bus riders in this town are getting a relative bargain for 1.25/1.35/1.45/whatever it is plus their 3 hour transfer.

[Tristan]

If they know they're going to increase fares again a couple of months later, why not have one fare increase.  I say this because they're expenses associated with the fare increase.  Why do it twice within a 3-month timeframe?  If they're unsure of what will happen later (including the percentage of the second increase), perhaps they should wait a bit longer (closer to 6/27) to increase the fares.

There must be a severe deficit in this fiscal year's budget for them to do such a thing now, rather than later.

That's exactly what happened - this increase plugs the hole in the FY10 budget, then there will be new talk of a new increase to fill the projected (but real) hole in the FY11 budget.