update on metro fare increase in washington dc — higher fares, even more problems

so yesterday was the first work-day with the new increased fares. and i guess metro thought that they would have to do something special, to celebrate this new ridiculous fare hike by fucking up even more than usual. red-line delays are nothing strange. in a way a day without red-line delays is a surprise. getting into an even just full red-line car during rush-hour is a miracle, but there is usually some kind of delay which makes it impossible to get in, but that is nothing new.  taking the yellow line from the airport to columbia hights (via the green line) though added an additional fuck-up. i had to wait 15 minutes at the archive stop (in the midst of rush hour) because of a train that was out of service at gallery place.  in addition to that the washington post also reported fare charging problems on the buses:

For some Metrobus riders, the new fare system brought an extra unwelcome surprise. A computer programming glitch caused bus riders paying with electronic SmarTrip cards to be overcharged when transferring to other buses and from the rail system. Bus-to-bus transfers within two hours are supposed to be free, and rail-to-bus transfers are supposed to be 35 cents. But passengers using their SmarTrip cards were being charged the full bus fare of $1.25, officials said. 

 another interesting part of that story is that riders already are thinking about switching back to using their cars because of these insane fare increases:

“I would hope that with this increase, they’re able to manage their budget better and increase service levels,” said Steve Lott, 31, a communications executive from Fairfax, who rides from Vienna to Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter on the Orange Line. Lott said he has been riding Metro for 10 years, and the last year was his worst as a rider. “I guess I’m going to give it six months, to see if service improves.” 

 and:

Dawn Morehouse, 37, who commutes from Silver Spring to Farragut North on the Red Line, said she would prefer taking the train, but she is going to try driving for the next two weeks to see “how it works out financially and mentally.” Her employer, Oracle, provides free parking. 

 exactly what we need … more people using cars. 

washington dc metro system increases fares in a move to get people back into their cars

in what can only described as an insane decision the washington dc public transport system (metro) has increased its prices. the washington post describes the fare increases as Historic Increases In Fees and Fares. the fare increases depend on distance. according to the post impact of the increase varies: 

Subway riders who park and travel longer distances during rush hour will be hardest hit, paying as much as 75 cents more per trip, or up to $2.25 more a day when the 75-cent increase for daily parking is factored in.That means someone who parks at theRockville Metrorail lot and rides to Metro Center during rush hour would have a daily commuting cost of $13.65, up from $11.40.Park-and-riders who travel longer distances during rush hour are looking at an additional $11.25 a week, or $585 a year, in commuting costs. Such trips include Vienna/Fairfax-GMU to L’Enfant Plaza on the Orange Line, Greenbelt to Pentagon City on the Green and Yellow lines, and Largo Town Center to Court House on the Blue and Orange lines.   

while i think that people who live in the city should not subsidize metro rides for suburbanites, i think that from an congestion and environmental point this fare increase (that especially hits people with long commutes) makes absolutely no sense. if at all prices of public transportation systems should be reduced. people should be moved from the road to the train, not the other way. a problem washington dc is facing here is that most of these metro users are in different states, but what should happen is that gas should be taxed higher with the profits subsidizing public transportation.