Rising Prices All Too Familar in D.C.

In Washington D.C., Michael Perkins explains that starting next July, Metro would be at a deficit of $120 million. They have come up with several ideas to raise a portion of that money through fares.

1 minute read

December 8, 2011, 7:00 AM PST

By David Zeetser

There are several ideas that Metro has proposed that include adjusting bus fares, raising rail fares, and raising parking fees to make up some of the amount that will be lost next year.

Perkins says that, "the first idea would be to adjust Smartrip bus fares according to general inflation for the past two years, and increase cash bus fares to make them even dollars. The new Smartrip bus fare would be $1.60, and the new regular, express and airport fares would be $2, $4 and $6."

For the rail fares, they plan to make increases where peak fares increase by the rate of inflation, which would be about 10 cents for the base fare and increases in the distance-based fares. Perkins mentions that "another option for adjusting rail fares would be to increase only the off-peak fares. In this option, the off-peak fare would increase to 90% of the peak rail fare, and the peak fares would be kept the same. "

Other ideas include a $0.25 increase across the board for all parking, and a new two-zone fare-card system that will require riders to pay $3 for trips within a central zone and all other trips would be $6.

FULL STORY: Fare hikes probable to cover part of Metro's $120 million gap

Wednesday, December 7, 2011 in Greater Greater Washington

Community / Economic Development Transportation District of Columbia Metro

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