Um, WMATA is about to eliminate half of the bus lines starting July 1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fare evasion in 2019 was estimated at $36 million but in 2022 it was down to $20 million, (and that I think was before WMATA spent $70 million on new fare gates).

Meanwhile the budget gap is $750 million with reduced charges to localities being about $200 million of that and telework about $500 million.

Blaming Metro’s deficit on fare evasion is not serious at all (which is different from saying whether something should be done about DC law on fare evasion but changing the law will not save any bus routes).

Trying

Is that because there was just fewer riders overall?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][b]Fare evasion in 2019 was estimated at $36 million but in 2022 it was down to $20 million,[/b] (and that I think was before WMATA spent $70 million on new fare gates).

Meanwhile the budget gap is $750 million with reduced charges to localities being about $200 million of that and telework about $500 million.

Blaming Metro’s deficit on fare evasion is not serious at all (which is different from saying whether something should be done about DC law on fare evasion but changing the law will not save any bus routes).

Trying[/quote]


Is that because there was just fewer riders overall?
[/quote]

It might be but that really just proves the point that what’s driving the deficit is trends in ridership not fare evasion.

Even if you use the higher figure you are talking about 5% of the deficit (not “large percentages” as a PP claimed).

[Anonymous]

The problem with fare evasion is that not only is that the people who evade fares tend to be lawless or disrespectful in other ways, which makes the metro experience worse for everyone else and causes many paying customers to stop riding.

I'm an example: I finally got sick of metro and decided the cost of parking and gas is worth it to me to avoid metro. I think there are tons of people like me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And recriminalizing and enforcing the law against fare evasion (theft of services, in fact) will recoup over $40 million in lost revenue to Metro.

In 2018, progressives on the city counsel came up with and passed a bill to de-criminalize fare evasion.

Included in the bill was a provision where a suspect was no longer required to give police their real name if stopped for fair evasion (they still have to give their name, but it can be a fake name).

Metro is now facing bankruptcy; a large percentage of thr deficit is lost fare due to evasion.

Do you still support the progressive council you elected ?

Most people in DC didn't vote for the current council. Google is your friend.

The current council isn't the 2018 council. Google is not your friend

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And recriminalizing and enforcing the law against fare evasion (theft of services, in fact) will recoup over $40 million in lost revenue to Metro.

Per annum.

minus the amount spent on such enforcement.

[Anonymous]

Dirty little secret is that the bike share programs have devastated transit around the country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good, they get in the way too much and cause traffic.

You're kidding, right? Cars take up far more roadway. If the people using cars for their daily commute used mass transit there'd be very little traffic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good, they get in the way too much and cause traffic.

You're kidding, right? Cars take up far more roadway. If the people using cars for their daily commute used mass transit there'd be very little traffic.

Dumb buses stop every 10 yards and 100 times during a route. They cause congestion that completely negates all of those perceived benefits.

[Anonymous]

The fare evaders tend to be students who ride for free so no extra revenue from them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Good, they get in the way too much and cause traffic.

You're kidding, right? Cars take up far more roadway. If the people using cars for their daily commute used mass transit there'd be very little traffic.

Dumb buses stop every 10 yards and 100 times during a route. They cause congestion that completely negates all of those perceived benefits.

Those buses should be able to pull over to make their stops, letting cars pass. However, they often can't because cars are parked in the bus stops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The problem with fare evasion is that not only is that the people who evade fares tend to be lawless or disrespectful in other ways, which makes the metro experience worse for everyone else and causes many paying customers to stop riding.

I'm an example: I finally got sick of metro and decided the cost of parking and gas is worth it to me to avoid metro. I think there are tons of people like me.

I quit when they stopped maintaining it or the escalators. I think they've finally done repairs, but I don't like watching people jump over the turnstyle or behave in a nasty fashion within. I only take short rides, in a pinch. Like twice a year.

[Anonymous]

Alright, Logan let's get to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fare evaders tend to be students who ride for free so no extra revenue from them.

So you want me to believe that rather than swiping their card that allows them to ride for free, they'd prefer to jump the gate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fare evasion in 2019 was estimated at $36 million but in 2022 it was down to $20 million, (and that I think was before WMATA spent $70 million on new fare gates).

Meanwhile the budget gap is $750 million with reduced charges to localities being about $200 million of that and telework about $500 million.

Blaming Metro’s deficit on fare evasion is not serious at all (which is different from saying whether something should be done about DC law on fare evasion but changing the law will not save any bus routes).

Trying

There is really no good way to know the precise figures, and metro has every incentive to act as though fare evasion is going down. I would not trust these figures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They should have never built their new location in Virginia. Complete waste of money.

I thought they got new HQ in DC