Ok, here it is: the proposed Metro fare hike. It is as confusing as it is steep. It's a disaster. An abortion. A miscarriage of common sense.
Since moving to Washington in 2001, the Metro has gotten progressively worse. It has been unable to handle the hordes of new riders. Rush hour trains come every four or five minutes now instead of every other minute. There's barely enough room to stand on a platform, never mind a six car train. The Friday and Saturday night trains that annoyingly came every 20 minutes now arrive every 30 minutes. I can't think of one aspect of the system that has improved. Nothing. Even the new "doors closing" annoucements and chimes rub me the wrong way. And they still want more.
I didn't mind the last increase three years ago. An extra dime on the train and a nickel on the bus? It sucks. But it's reasonable. I was expecting a similar increase after Metro announced their $116,000,000.00 budget shortfall. This shortfall was caused by financial incompetence, not by improved conditions or anything like that. As Metro gets worse, the bugdet follows, and now we're in some kind of cycle of ignorance. So it's bullshit that the everyday commuter should have to pay for Metro's fiscal bumbling. It's bullshit, but that's the way it is sometimes.
Instead of the expected nickel and dime increase, we have an increase of up to $2.10. Per ride. And it's not just the commuters who are getting gang-raped here. If this plan ever becomes policy, I'm looking at an increase of fifty cents per ride. Fifty cents more to travel from Friendship Heights to Dupont. Fifty cents a ride. One dollar a day. Assuming someone rides the Metro 300 times a year...that's a pretty significant dent in the wallet, isn't it? This is an iPod's worth of bullshit. It's one percent of your salary (if you're an entry-level worker) being spent on a fare increase caused by ineptitude.
So, let's see who this is going to really hurt:
1. Tourists. The new plan just kills anyone who doesn't own a SmarTrip card. The difference between SmarTrip fares and regular fares is going to be significant. Seventy-five cent difference just for riding a bus. Ouch. I doubt many tourists are going to go out of their way to buy cards, so they'll be hit the hardest. Although DC depends on tourist dollars, I don't think a Metro fare increase is going to be the difference between a family vacationing at Disneyland or in Washington. I'm OK with screwing over tourists.
2. Long-distance commuters. This is just insane. We wanted people to stop driving into Washington. Remember? Traffic around here is a notorious shitshow. So, just maybe charging people an extra dollar a pop to ride a train is not the way to improve the situation on our highways.
Oh, and don't worry. They're considering increasing parking rates at Metro garages. I can't believe Metro found a way to make itself more expensive than unleaded gasoline, but here we are.
3. Anyone working downtown. There's a thirty-five cent charge for anyone who gets off at a downtown station. "Downtown" also includes the Court House, Rosslyn, Union Station, etc. This is total bullshit. Metro wants to make these stations less busy? Good luck with that. This is where the jobs are. Commuters shouldn't be penalized for going to their fucking jobs. I mean, do you really want people to work in the city or not? If you want us to work in Tyson's Corner, fine. Good plan.
(I already mentioned this once, but I feel the need to reiterate that "reverse commuters" can just shrivel up and die for all I care. Your trains are empty and you miss out on this bullshit surcharge. You motherfuckers. I need a job in Rockville or Silver Spring.)
4. Drunk people. "Rush hour" is being extended to Fridays between 2 and 3am. Ok. Fine. If you want to send trains every five minutes in that one hour period, that's awesome. I don't think that's going to happen. Trains are going to come every 25 minutes and drunk people will be charged extra just because Metro feels like they can get away with it. There is no reason for this increase other than to pick on people who spend money in DC establishments. I mean, do they want us to just drink at home? Because I have no problem with that. Seriously, it's like Metro is daring me to get hammered on a Friday night by myself while I'm playing Guitar Hero II. I've done it before and I will do it again, you fucks.
5. Anyone with a job. I love how Metro wants discounts for people riding between 9:30am and 3pm. If I had a fucking choice, I'd "get up at 12, start to work at 1, take an hour for lunch, and then at 2 we're done." But I don't have a fucking choice because I have a fucking job. The only way this will help ease congestion is if the people who can go to work whenever the fuck they want (rich people/higher-ups) decide to start coming in at 10am. Wow, a discount for the people who don't need it. DC is the best.
By the way, if you work downtown at a 9-5, you are doubly fucked. DC will leave no orifice unfucked. If you work downtown at a 9-5 and you're commuting from Vienna? Oh man. I would just give up. Move somewhere else because DC clearly doesn't want you.
Ok. I'm probably missing some key demographics, but I'm starting to hyperventilate and I need a break from this garbage. I can't believe how many times I've typed a derivative of the word "fuck." So, let's end with the best quote from the Post's coverage of the story: "Riders have reacted angrily to any proposed fare increases."
NO SHIT, SHERLOCK.
UPDATE:
I'm going to keep going with this as long as I can. Send suggestions to me via comments or e-mail.
6. The homeless. Whether we like it or not (and let's be honest, we all hate it), the homeless have every right to ride a bus or train from one line to another. Busing is especially important for the homeless because, well, I don't know why. But there's always a homeless dude on any bus I take after 8pm. Anyways, you know who can't afford SmarTrip cards? Homeless people. They're going to have to spend an extra 75 cents to get from part of town to another. 75 cents buys food. It buys water. It shouldn't have to buy a stupid fare increase.
I guess this is really only a small concern. It's not like Washington has a shit-ton of homeless people or anything. I mean, if we did, this kind of fare increase would seem really insensitive, wouldn't it?
7. People who don't live anywhere near a Metro stop. So, you need to get a SmarTrip card to avoid the buggering you're going to get if you pay for public transporation with a proletariat fare card? Well, I hope you live near Shady Grove, Metro Center, or one of the few Metro stations that actually dispense the damned things. And if you don't live near a Metro station or if you exclusively ride the bus? Well, then you're fucked. Enjoy running the thankless errand of getting to a Metro stop and riding around DC all day just for the opportunity to spend five dollars on a card.
This would especially suck if you're one of those Ward 4 people who live nowhere near a subway stop. Can you imagine catching the S line, hopping on a subway, transferring to the Red line, paying five dollars, and then doubling back. All to avoid paying an extra 75 cents per bus ride. That sounds like a soul-crushing experience. Way to improve city morale, Metro!
Rusty, this proposal is fucked up on so many levels that I could not even begin to process it. Thanks for doing that for me.
ReplyDeleteEither Metro has a really bizarre sense of humor, or we are all about to get royally fucked.
However, I kind of like the idea of grossly overcharging busriders who don't use a SmarTrip card. I hate those stupid fucks who decide a good time to dig into their purse and fish around for change is when they are standing in front of the coin slot with 15 people waiting behind them.
Metro makes no sense. The Red Line is crowded every single day and they expect me to pay MORE for that? Bullshit.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. Somehow New York City is able to service thousands more riders and every ride is $2.00 period. You can go from one end of the island to the other - still only $2.00. In NYC you can even get a monthly unlimited pass. Every time I metro to my boyfriend's in Old Town from my place in DC, I cringe. There is no reason it should cost $2.30 not to mention the 45 minutes or more it takes. We might as well move-in together because we sure as hell won't be able to afford to take the train.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I've come on here to play devil's advocate plenty of times, but I'm totally with you on this one.
ReplyDeleteSome anectodal evidence of the general shittiness of this "plan":
I was considering selling my car and using metro to commute. My insurance is pretty high, and I can always borrow one if need be.
I'd have to take orange from eastern market and transfer on to a bus to Shirlington, but I'd make it work. Anything to get off 395 twice a day.
But hold on.
My transfer would occur at the Pentagon station. Which is, you know, "downtown." And I'd get royally screwed 2X a day (like you, and 99% of everyone, I have to be there by nine).
And that leads me to the real puzzler.
How do they expect the Pentagon station to get "less busy." IT'S THE FUCKING PENTAGON. Or do they want DOD to move to Reston or something?
These asshats can get used to seeing my crappy Saturn all over their roads, because I'm not funding this bullshit if I don't have to.
I used to pay for parking at New Carrollton and ride to Farragut North every day. This would have fucking crushed me back then.
I didn't ride the metro before because it was overpriced. It takes twice to three times as long to metro as it does to drive. The trains don't come frequently enough at any time of the day, although it's especially disgusting on evenings/weekends. Every metro worker I've ever met is surly and unpleasant, other than the guys who hand out the newspapers.
ReplyDeleteIf metro extended to a 24 hour service with trains every two minutes during rush hour and every six minutes at all other times, then I feel the fare increase would almost be worth the service received. As it stands, they're already overpaid.
"We just built 50 glass umbrellas over all the metro stations in the city. Now we're $116M in the hole. Whoopsiedoodle!" Dumb fucks. Why build shit for principally esthetic reasons when you can't afford it? College students with $40K in credit card debt have a better understanding of fiscal conservation that these criminally incompetent jackasses.
I second Metro's shame when compared to NYC.
ReplyDeleteFor the record, I fucking hate New York just as much as I do DC. I lived there for a while and it sucked. And there's really nothing worse on this planet than a DC vs. NYC blog war.
That said . . .
Forget going from one end of the island to another. For $2, you can cross multiple islands.
You can go from Coney Island to the fucking Bronx for $2.
A monthly pass costs like $75. No waiting 30 minutes (unless it's the vaunted G train). The disparity is insane.
Finally, what gives with Metro's definition of "peak hours?" Doesn't morning rush hour start as soon as they open? You know, the old 5 am rush hour.
So even if I was willing to be a good citizen and come in earlier, when trains are less crowded, I wouldn't save one red cent, would I?
Fucktards.
And you know all those bastards in Great Falls are laughing at us right now ;)
Re the escalator umbrellas, those were necessary because Metro realized that escalators break when they get wet. So it's there lack of foresight, not their desire for pleasant aesthetics that hurt us.
ReplyDeleteThat's weird, you'd think that if escalors were exposed to the elements 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, they would require very little maintenance. I learn something new from Metro every day.
ReplyDeleteDandy post, Rust. Loved it.
ReplyDeleteOnly way it will stop is when VA, MD and DC pull their head out of their asses and give metro a dedicated income source. Otherwise, the only way for an aging transit system to keep its head above water is jack rates.
ReplyDeleteThis will piss commuters off, but won't effect the numbers too badly. Parking plus gas is going to cost more than metro - always. There might be a 1-2 month lag before garages raise prices, but that will be it.
Out of curiosity, what do the commuter trains (MARC, VRE) cost? What do commuter trains cost in other cities (not NYC)? I'm too lazy to look it up.
replace all of the escalators with stairs. say bye-bye to a ton of maintenance costs, problem partially solved.
ReplyDeleteI am assuming there is no way this would ever pass.
ReplyDeleteWhy are people, who probably can't afford a car (I know I can't), having to pay for the fact that DC is full of corrupt fucks who don't know how to properly utilize my tax money?
God. I am so pissed. I live ~2 miles from my workplace... maybe I will just start walking to Dupont and taking the blue bus.
RAWR!
reverse commuter here (don't hate me, its not my fault!)
ReplyDeletebut since i get on the metro at judiciary, a metro-designated "hotspot", i am still subject to the crowding surcharge, so actually i dont even get that stupid discount anyway!
Since getting a DUI recently I've been taking the train on weekends and, as it turns out, you're absolutely right.
ReplyDeleteWhat a frickin' pain in the ass. I used to just tell people to just drive if they were coming home from the bars but now....
Way to incentivize drunks to stay on the road, Metro.
drunk people have always had to pay the higher fare from 2-3am on fridays and saturdays. and if you read on dcist, its kind of a valid point (i forget if it was in a comment or in their article) that raising it for downtown commuters is almost like the airplane tax for business commuters. its hittin gthe people that can pay for it (they have a better write up than i can explain :) )
ReplyDeleteWait, we've always had to pay rush hour charges between 2 and 3? Really? That's not fair. How am I supposed to notice if I'm charged an extra 30 cents when I'm blitzed.
ReplyDeleteAny airline analogy is stupid because people don't fly to work and back every day.
Just playing a little devil's advocate for the NYC subway lovers.
ReplyDeleteThat flat $2.00 fee buys you urine-odored stations and disgusting trains.
Don't forget that Metro feels more like a commuter train than a regular subway.
Yes, some people do have to fly back and forth to work every day. They're called "commuter flights", and they are a$$-bleedingly expensive for no good reason.
ReplyDeleteBut don't worry, Bush will give us corporations another nice tax break, so we don't even feel the airfare/tax increases! Yay!
Stop crying. There is NO way in hell these fare increases are actually going to take place.
ReplyDeleteClearly the way to increase revenue is to discourage ridership.
ReplyDeleteFools!
And another thing: What about those poor souls who work downtown and make minimum wage (or just a little higher)? You know, the janitors, fast-food workers, waiters/waitresses, busboys, maintanence people, stock boys, service workers, retail employees, etc.
ReplyDeleteThey're royally screwed with this increase.
Does this mean if they increase the fares that the doors on the train I rode on today on the Red line would open all the way?
ReplyDeleteOne of the doors stayed closed and people had to squeeze out.
Also, would it make the stinky burned brakes smell go away. That has got to be a very bad thing to breathe each day.
Quit bitching with the reverse commuter shtick. "Wahhhh!!! I have to stand!" We get it in the ass just as hard. I'd get the same surcharge since Court House is now downtown (who knew?). Our trains run less frequently (with good reason though). Then I get the pleasure of riding Fairfax Connector for another 40 mins to Tyson's since the Silver Line won't be built until 2034. If you want to see ineptitude and overcrowding, that shit in the afternoon is amazing... especially during the holidays.
ReplyDeleteWithout giving reverse commuters a break on the proposed increase there would be NO WAY IN HELL anyone will choose to Metro to work instead of driving. At that point, it's cheaper and slower to ride. 66 will be even more of a clusterfuck parking lot than it is. But hey, all in the name of "increasing ridership."
So from the suburbs Russ, it's won't be all roses and ice cream for us either.
Oh good. They pushed this one by us while everyone's distracted with the fare increase.
ReplyDeleteMetro makes commuting more enjoyable by showcasing area performers
Musicians, dancers, thespians and other artists will perform at Metrorail station entrances next spring as part of MetroPerforms!, a one-year pilot program designed to showcase the talents of area performers.
http://www.wmata.com/about/met_news/story.cfm?ID=1062
FANTASTIC!
Orangelina,
ReplyDeleteI didn't miss it. I had a post about that a week ago. I would never miss an opportunity to bitch about the Metro.
A Smart Benefits makeover would probably calm everyone down.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they can use some of the money to put real police in the metro kiosks so if anything ever happens, we don't have to rely on the old, obese people in the orange vests to save us. I think that might be why they want more money. For things like that.
ReplyDeleteRemove all of the escalators? Are you fucking kidding me? Have you ever been to Rosslyn or Dupont Circle? Stairs there would leave half of the fat fucks in this country with a coronary by the time they got to the top. It's like going down into a fucking mine.
ReplyDeleteThe Metro fare hike proposal sent me into a similar rage yesterday, but for slightly different reasons. Yes, WMATA probably could be more efficient and trim some fat. But I can't blame DC or WMATA for all of Metro's problems and funding shortfalls. It is more systemic than that, in two ways:
ReplyDelete1- Unlike other transit systems of its size, Metro has no dedicated source of funding. Every year, the transit authority must go hat in hand to the jurisdictions it serves for the resources to keep the trains and buses moving. This is unacceptable.
2- As a country, our transportation dollar prioritizes highways and car-dependent travel over public transportation. Last year, Congress passed a bloated federal transportation bill that dedicated the vast majority of money to highways and very little to public transit. Our policy-makers need to do more to encourage and subsidize public transit and discourage more driving--for so many reasons, most of all global warming. Until that happens, Metro and other public transit systems will remain the bastard red-headed stepchildren of our transportation system.
Careful Alison, I'm partial to red heads. But right on you are...what would be really really NICE is if we actually HAD REAL LIVE MEANINGFUL Congressional representation to MAKE Congress appropriate federal dollars for Metro. SEE THE CATCH 22 there? They fuck us in all directions. And unfortunately most angry DCites would rather suck their thumbs than actually cause a big fight and demand it. Anyone remember what a SHIT SHOW NYC was last winter when the subway workers walked out...tea in the harbor? Kids, it works.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think drivers from VA and MD should be charged a commuter tax, like they do in London. If you're saving all that cash on rent then you can spend it on special driving priviledges to help DC carry your burden. Then we can build that stadium already (kidding, RUSTY!).
Couple of comments:
ReplyDelete1. Tourists aren't really hurt by this proposal. Most tourists use the metro rather than buses and don't have to ride during peak times so their ride could actually be cheaper ($1.25 even with paper cards during non-rush hour).
2. You really need to stop bitching about reverse commuters. The train may be less crowded but I still have to pay the extra 35 cents because I get on at Dupont or Farrugut West. Just try getting onto the platform at Farrugut West during the morning rush hour. They turn off the down escalator and the elevator is closed for repair so there is no way to get down onto the platform when a train has arrived and there is a crowd of people walking up the down escalator.
3. Why should metro workers get a 5% raise when the system if facing budget problems? I don't get a raise when my organization has had a bad year.
Saving all that money on rent? Where would that be? West Virginia maybe but not NOVA. Sorry to break the news.
ReplyDeleteRegarding #3, it's not the workers fault that the higher-ups mangled the budget. As for bad years for an organization, Metro is not a for-profit enterprise, so it's completely different. They perform a valuable service and therefore deserve raises.
ReplyDeleteIn case you can't tell I used to be a union member. UFCW 328! Woo!
Yeah, we shouldn't hurt the workers because their bosses are fuck ups. Metro workers have families to feed too. I mean who here doesn't have some sort of organizational dysfunction...do you want your pay raise eliminated because you work for an asshole? Think not.
ReplyDeleteBack to my #3, I work for a non-profit too and if the money isn't there for big raises or bonuses, suck it up. 5% is more than yearly increases in inflation. I could understand a 2.5-3% raise to keep up with inflation. No more when the place is in financial trouble no matter who's fault it is.
ReplyDeleteMetro is trying real hard to turn people into car commuters. Yeah...we need more gridlock on our roads. We need more Co2 emissions into our atmosphere. We need more smog and unhealthy air conditions.
ReplyDeleteYO METRO SUCKS YEAH WE ALREADY KNOW THAT BUT IF YOU KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE OR GO TO THE RIGHT PLACES YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND FARECARDS AND SMART TRIP CARDS AT REDUCED PRICES FAR BELOW WHAT YOU WOULD PAY AT A METRO STATION SO GET UP OFF OF YOUR FLAT ASSES AND START LOOKING FOR THEM.
ReplyDeleteBid on farecards on Ebay?
ReplyDeleteDumb ass.
You can't live in the white-boy suburbs and then bitch about the cost of taking the train into town, you cheap piece of shit.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't I?
ReplyDeleteRusty - All I can say is "amen."
ReplyDeleteYou can. But you'll sound like a petty, shortsighted, whiny tool.
ReplyDeleteThose living in DC get screwed by this proposal too. My fare will jump $1.40 RT because I live by Union Station and work at Dupont Circle. This has got to be one of the dumbest things Metro has ever tried to foist on people. So I'm supposed to walk an extra mile to New York Ave stop -- and even better, walk home from it in the dark? Or trudge to Woodley Park metro, which also is a good distance from Dupont? What kind of stupid incentive is that?
ReplyDeleteNot many ebay auctions for metro cards the majority of them are buy it now. I paid $50 for a farecard with $75 value on it. Not bad.
ReplyDeleteMetro has consistently lost money over the last 10 years. Everything we buy and use has increased in price. Your pay has likely increased 3-5% year over year. The people WMATA employs, of which there are many, also get raises. The money has to come from somewhere. While it isn't unreasonable to expect service not to suffer while paying more, the idea that metro will always cost $1.35 per ride is absurd. Get over it and move on. You have options. Walk, buy a car, pay for gas. No one forces you to use Metro and it isn't a right to have public transportation. Asking for oversight to be sure WMATA is spending wisely is acceptable but expecting to not have to pay for public transportation is not. I take Metro every day and only twice in the last year have I waited more than five minutes for a train during rush hour. So personally I think you're exaggerating and bitching. And yes, it's crowded but for every person taking metro, that's one less person driving into this city and taking the valuable street parking that residents who pay taxes in the city shouldn't have to share with those who don't.
ReplyDeleteOverall, having been on several different subway systems, I think WMATA is pretty fucking reliable. Trains are late sometimes - shit happens. Maybe if people woudl board the trains and move to the middle like they are supposed to, people wouldn't have to push to fight to get on and hold up the doors closing.
The trains are clean for the most part, the stations are safe, the escalators don't often work and we overpay union repairmen to fix them, but be glad you have them. New Yorkers sure don't have that luxury. People still can't eat, drink or smoke on the trains, thankfully. The stations are air conditioned as are the trains.
I don't like paying more for things anymore than you do. This will certainly hit my wallet no doubt as I take it everyday. And I only go a few stops. And I do want oversight to be sure the money is being spent wisely and not wasted. But I do recognize I can't expect to pay $1.35 forever. Luckily I have a SmartTrip card, because even though I don't live at any of the stops you can get them, I chose to go there and get one and stop bitching about how life isn't perfect. My apologies that WMATA won't hand deliver your SmartTrip card to you. God forbid you have to go to Metro Center, where 90% of commuters pass every day and could easily stop and get one if they weren't fucking lazy.
Oh and ot the asshat bitching about the umbrella things over the stations - do you know the purpose is to keep rain off the escalators which causes them to stop working (which you would then bitch about) and keeps us from paying $40/hour to some union worker to fix it. They are cost saving measures dipshit. I'm glad they at elast chose to make them aesthetic so that not only do they save money but aren't fugly like everything else about metro.
ReplyDelete"I take Metro every day and only twice in the last year have I waited more than five minutes for a train during rush hour. So personally I think you're exaggerating and bitching."
ReplyDeleteHA, TWICE!!! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GETTING ON?!?!?!
Gallery Place/Chinatown or Dupont.
ReplyDeleteI have never waited more than five minutes for a train in the last year that I've had this particular commute. And only a handful of times have I actually waited five minutes. My typical wait is 2 - 4 minutes and often times the trains are closer than that. I'm not sure where YOU are getting on (probably some stupid ass station in Virginia) but in the city, the trains are fairly reliable.
I call shenanigans. For someone who rides the red line everyday, you're sure not paying attention...twice is a tragically low count, friend.
ReplyDelete2 delays in 2 years, B U L L S H I T :
ReplyDelete-This summer during the rainstorms when it took people 2 hours to commute
-When the Metro worker fell in front of a train at Dupont
I don't even ride the red line (since it doesn't have any stupid ass stations in VA) and I can think of two rush hour delays in the past SIX MONTHS. I'm sure if I rode it 500 more times, I could come up with a few more.
Rusty, welcome Dan Tangherlini to the board!
The "twice in two years" line is comically absurd. I take the Red Line every days and I'm getting five minute waits on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteAnd bitching about the umbrella thingies over the stations is totally OK. How crazy is it that Metro thought they could expose the escalators to the elements without consequences? What a failure in terms of common sense.
just an fyi. by code, stairs are allowed a max 'rise' of 7". Escalators are allowed to have a greater rise because its presumed that users are standing passively on it. If metro replaced escalators with stairs they would have to do a massive excavation to install stairs. The steep angle of metro escalators would have to be remade as something significantly less steep in order to make stairs legal. imagine how much excavation and additional space it would take to make dupont or rosslyn legal.
ReplyDeletei also think that rather than raising fares, metro should just ticket tourists who stop at the bottom (or top) of an escalator, oblvious to the rush hour commuters piling up behind them.
yet steeper stairs might help with America's obesity problem,not only in DC but especially with said tourists.
ReplyDeleterusty, do you like the nats?
ReplyDeleteEh. I am a Red Sox fan.
ReplyDeleteMetro train is a disaster! They made every mistake that BART made and thought they were unique.
ReplyDeleteMetro fares already are too high. My out-of-pocket cost to drive each day is about equal to the current fare and my parking fee is roughly that of the metro lot in the rual area at the end of the line. If the government did not provide me a subsidy to ride I would not be there.
Metro also lies! Years ago when they increased the rush hour fares they promised that you never would have to wait more than 12 miun during rush hour. Today I wait 15 to 18 mins almost everyday at the Rosslyn station to transfer from an orange to a blue train.
The train takes longer and longer to get me into work and the out-of-pocket cost is almost the same.
Metro trains however have become more reliable than they were about five years ago when I stopped riding the thing for 3 years. As gas prices rose the subsidized metro became attachtive and I went back on the trains. Now I am considering going back to driving and the fare increase probably will dirve me to drive! That will depend upon the amount of increase in the government subsidy for me to ride metro! I pity the poor people that have to pay for this bad service and poor ride and rude employees that get no subsidy. Increased fares should impact the poor in a much greater manner and definitely will be felt by the foreign workers I see riding every morning to construction sites around the area.
Metro should consider trains that skip every other station to improve the time it takes to ride and the ware and tear on the trains. They also should reduce the time between trains to one minute to provide convienence for passengers.
Would you rather Metro increase fares across the board> That would result in even more ridership loss than targeting the fare increases at times and places where they know the riders will likely keep riding?
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting that photo. I was in the car that is being mounted by the other one, which happened when the train ahead of us rolled backwards WHICH THEY ARENT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE CAPABLE OF DOING.
ReplyDelete....fucking metro.
I'm always surprised that more people don't know about the weekly pass. Of course it's not available with SmarTrip cards (you have to buy the paper pass), but a weekly unlimited-ride pass is available for $32.50. That doesn't make up for much of the increase but it's pretty good for those coming in from the far suburbs. (http://www.wmata.com/riding/passes.cfm#Metrorail)
ReplyDeleteYou can't use a weekly pass with a smart trip. This means that if you intend to pay your metro fare with a weekly pass and want to park at a metro lot, it costs $7/day to park. The reason most commuters pay the full metro fare from Shady Grove instead of using a weekly pass is so they won't get reamed with the parking. I ride Rid-On to Shady Grove, so I only pay $20/month for a Ride-On bus pass. It would be nice if the Smart Trip could be integrated with all passes and discounts could be accumulated. For example, if the parking disocunt for using Smart Trip while riding Metro could be incorporated with the weekly pass. Just a thought.
ReplyDelete