Contrary to Timothy 6:10, Cicero, Emerson, and Pink Floyd, George Bernard Shaw claimed that the lack of money is the root of all evil. Despite Washington’s occasional tendency toward idealism, if you are a Metro rider, it’s getting harder to disagree with Mr. Shaw these days.
Our city’s transit system is facing its biggest budget shortfall ever, and in order to close the $116 million gap, Metro officials have proposed the first fare increase in three years. Past fare increases have been broadly applied to all of Metro’s services, with bus fares, rail fares, and other fees increasing together.
This year’s proposal, presented to the Metro Board today, is a complicated but creative set of both fare increases and a few reductions that would ultimately reach deeper into the pockets of riders. It is an attempt not only to raise money for the Metro system, but also to change rider behavior to ease the worst congestion on prime-time trains and in popular stations.
The only problem is, it won’t work (and Metro knows it). After the jump: Why DCist disagrees with Metro’s fare proposals, yet enthusiastically endorses their proposed 2007 budget.
Photo by DottieboBottie
