ARTICLE: Bus riders see inequities in proposed Metro fare increases

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Another fare cut is proposed, so we get our "regular" article on how it adversely affects bus riders as bus riders are pitted against rail riders and inner city riders are pitted against commuters from the suburbs.  See today's article from the Washington Post at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/28/AR2010032802897.html?hpid=moreheadlines. 

[Antozilla]

Pretty much.  Its wither got to be cut or come out of the fare box. 

[OrionFlyer]

Increase the fare during the peak hours? Never heard of something like that.

[79MetroExtraMD]

Increase the fare during the peak hours? Never heard of something like that.

They used to do it a few years back. I can't remember when they got rid of the peak hour bus fare.

[Scrabbleship]

Increase the fare during the peak hours? Never heard of something like that.

Minneapolis has done something like this for many years. Also there have been systems that have done reduced fares on low-ridership periods (NYC on Sundays in the 70's) or have had special periods of low fares (NYC on weekends in late 2005, the recent $1 fares on the MFL/BSS in Philly).

I'd love to see how the poor people in DC would stack up to the poor in Cleveland ($2.25 base fare) and Sacramento ($2.50 base fare).

[WMATAGMOAGH]

Increase the fare during the peak hours? Never heard of something like that.

They used to do it a few years back. I can't remember when they got rid of the peak hour bus fare.

The peak fare got eliminated in June of 1999 IIRC.  Maybe it is time to bring it back.

Personally, I think the bus system is probably more wasteful than the rail system, and all steps to bring the bus system closer to the present day and away from the stone age that it seems to still be operating in should be considered strongly and taken. 

[Scrabbleship]

Increase the fare during the peak hours? Never heard of something like that.

They used to do it a few years back. I can't remember when they got rid of the peak hour bus fare.

The peak fare got eliminated in June of 1999 IIRC.  Maybe it is time to bring it back.

Personally, I think the bus system is probably more wasteful than the rail system, and all steps to bring the bus system closer to the present day and away from the stone age that it seems to still be operating in should be considered strongly and taken. 

Agreed, but only if there is no detriment to rail as there seemingly has been the last few years. I know Catoe's heart was in its right place to try to snaz up the bus side of things, but it seemed that helping Metrobus came at the expense of benignly neglecting Metrorail at a time when its chickens came home to roost.

[Antozilla]

Catoe is a bus man, plain and simple. 

[Scrabbleship]

Catoe is a bus man, plain and simple. 

Catoe came from an agency whose rail aspect is a fraction of WMATA's and whose bus portion still is king. If anything, Sarles at least is from an agency that is multimodal and can deal with both commuter rail's choice riders, the transit-dependent Newark City Subway Light Rail crowd, and the HBLR/RiverLINE in-betweens. Kind of like WMATA only a lot more decentralized.

[WayneNYC]

Increase the fare during the peak hours? Never heard of something like that.

Minneapolis has done something like this for many years. Also there have been systems that have done reduced fares on low-ridership periods (NYC on Sundays in the 70's) or have had special periods of low fares (NYC on weekends in late 2005, the recent $1 fares on the MFL/BSS in Philly).

I'd love to see how the poor people in DC would stack up to the poor in Cleveland ($2.25 base fare) and Sacramento ($2.50 base fare).

The NYCTA half fare program was indeed in the late 1970s.  It came along with the "package" to soften the blow when they raised the fare from .35 to .50.  The way it worked was the half fare was in effect from 6:00 PM Saturday until 1:00 AM Monday.  Also, they introduced bus transfers (The called them "Add-A'Ride") which cost .25 and the cost was reduced to .10 during the half fare hours.  The intention for the transfers were to be used for a continuing trip on an intersecting bus route only.  They were not designed for a return trip.  A transfer had the route number on it and it was valid for one ride on an intersecting route, but could not be used on the same route.  When you boarded the second bus, you'd surrender the transfer to the bus operator.  The half fare thing was great, but it didn't last very long.  The transfer rules are still pretty much the same, except became free way,way back and now they're generated by the farebox (upon request) for a passenger paying a cash fare, and inserted into the farebox on the second bus.

In regards to Metrobus, I don't want to come off as insensitive, but I think Metrobus riders have a sweet deal in terms of the fare.  I still think the pain of increases need to be spread evenly amongst Metrorail (in DC and suburbs) and Metrobus. 

I imagine the cuts in Montgomery County service was the best case scenario as the affected passengers have a Ride On option, and my understanding is that it cost less for Ride On to cover the service.

A woman in the article made mention of the fact that she's unable to to travel to church because the F14 has no Sunday service.  Brings us back to the issue that I wish more people knew about.  This lady (and many others) is thinking that WMATA is responsible for their lack of bus options, whereas they need to be looking at their (county) elected officials.  I guess I don't need to get into PG, The Bus' shortcomings.  Here we are in 2010 and they still hibernate on weekends.  What kind of crap is that?

[Tritransit Area]

Another fare cut is proposed, so we get our "regular" article on how it adversely affects bus riders as bus riders are pitted against rail riders and inner city riders are pitted against commuters from the suburbs.  See today's article from the Washington Post at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/28/AR2010032802897.html?hpid=moreheadlines.

What a lame article...it's written with such a "poor minority bus passengers" vs the "rich white rail passengers" angle that I hope nobody that has influence would take this seriously and cry discrimination against WMATA.  How offensive to paint Metrobus for poor folk and Metrorail for rich folk, regardless of the "statistics"! Anyone can use Metrorail; the Smartrip is good on ALL modes!

The percentage increase desparities between bus and rail are bogus - everyone pays 25 cents more, and bus passengers will STILL have their unlimited transfers while the rail passengers experience zone charges and peak fares.  Not to mention, of course, the rail passenges already pay significantly higher fares than Metrobus riders.

Reading through the article, albeit on the quick side, I noticed that and interviewees seem to mainly reside in PG County...Ms. Washington is actually photographed riding a PG The Bus Gillig!  Hmm, PG The Bus, a system with dirt cheap fares but quite subpar service.  Maybe PG should read this article and see how their residents are struggling to get around.  Perhaps they should look into starting up some weekend service.  After all, they cry that WMATA should be expanding services (don't you think they'd like to?), so why not PG?  Oh wait, there is that funding and recession issue, isn't there?

As usual, the local TA is pinned as the bad guy when the real issue is local dedicated funding and their matches. 

[Nabinut]

In regards to Metrobus, I don't want to come off as insensitive, but I think Metrobus riders have a sweet deal in terms of the fare.  I still think the pain of increases need to be spread evenly amongst Metrorail (in DC and suburbs) and Metrobus.   

Wayne, you're not being insensitive, you're being realistic. $1.25 (Smartrip) with a 180 minute free transfer limit is a damn skippy sweet deal. Try paying $2.50 to $3.00 a ride combined with a 9% service cut and you'll see some real bitc*ing. This article is intended to make it seem that 99% of intercity residents are poor or recieving government assistance. That is far from the truth but to the writer and interviewees, it's the only existence they want to acknowledge 

[Scrabbleship]

In regards to Metrobus, I don't want to come off as insensitive, but I think Metrobus riders have a sweet deal in terms of the fare.  I still think the pain of increases need to be spread evenly amongst Metrorail (in DC and suburbs) and Metrobus.   

Wayne, you're not being insensitive, you're being realistic. $1.25 (Smartrip) with a 180 minute free transfer limit is a damn skippy sweet deal.

Even with the 10-cent "emergency" fare increase, I can't think of many other cities with a lower base fare than WMATA and everyone who pegs to WMATA. That fare could be $1.50 on SmarTrip easily and few people would be harmed except the egos of the upper class feeling sorry for a lower class they feel sorry for for the illusion of truly caring.

Try paying $2.50 to $3.00 a ride combined with a 9% service cut and you'll see some real bitc*ing. This article is intended to make it seem that 99% of intercity residents are poor or recieving government assistance. That is far from the truth but to the writer and interviewees, it's the only existence they want to acknowledge 

Given the moaning of DC's urban poor, I wonder if they'd survive in, say, Baltimore with a higher ($1.60) fare and NO transfers. Or any place with a higher fare or, god forbid, where they charge for transfers!

Whenever transfers aren't free, I'm reminded of the regular rants I'd hear back when I lived in Albany and someone would bring up that it cost more to get from (Hospital/Supermarket/Mall) to (Part of town not near any of the 3)  than from Albany to (Downtown Schenectady/Troy). Of course it is, you're paying cash in a system that has many pass options. Of course, then they'd complain that the daypass option ($4, base fare $1.50) cost "too much".
(The real problem is until recently it could only be bought on board the bus which increased dwell times as everyone had to put $4 into the farebox and all).

[MetroLinerXLZ]

I will say that I don't like how it'll affect everyone, but not because of the rich or poor issue.

My thing is that while WMATA is proposing these fare increases and service cuts, they are not proposing other fare options that could be more viable than what is currently being put on the table. A unified bus/rail pass (IMO) is long overdue....

[Tritransit Area]

Whenever transfers aren't free, I'm reminded of the regular rants I'd hear back when I lived in Albany and someone would bring up that it cost more to get from (Hospital/Supermarket/Mall) to (Part of town not near any of the 3)  than from Albany to (Downtown Schenectady/Troy). Of course it is, you're paying cash in a system that has many pass options. Of course, then they'd complain that the daypass option ($4, base fare $1.50) cost "too much".
(

That's a steal compared to what Philly is proposing.  We will have $2 base fare, $1.55 per token, and $1 transfers that can only be used once in two hours to a connecting route, not returning to the origin of the trip.  Our [ in ]Convenience Pass, which only allows 8 transit trips in one day, will cost $7, and the Independence Pass (unlimited rides on everything SEPTA outside of Jersey) will cost $11.   The annoyingly ridiculous zone fare will remain at 50 cents.

Is cost of living that much higher up here than down in DC, where people are better able to afford this type of stuff in PA?