Student Metro Cards - Available to MD students at DC privates?

[Anonymous]

Fares and advertising revenue do not pay for all of the costs of operating Metrorail, Metrobus, and MetroAccess service. The shortfall is covered by contributions from the District of Columbia, Maryland, Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Fairfax County, and Falls Church. You can learn more about Metro funding by viewing the presentation on WMATA Subsidy Allocation Methodology (PDF).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This question is ridiculous. Can you explain why you think DC should subsidize your transportation to private school when there is likely a public school within walking distance of your house?

I actually can see the public school out of my kitchen window. But it's a shitty public school. We chose a private school. Over 30K per year in tuition. Not an easy stretch for us. So every penny counts. What's ridiculous about that?

[Anonymous]

Because you're asking DC taxpayers to cover the cost of your subsidy, that's what is ridiculous. DC covers the direct costs of the difference between the normal fare and student subsidized fare - and explain to me again why you, as a non-resident of D.C., should somehow be entitled to this discount?

God, the sense of entitlement on these boards is unbelievable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because you're asking DC taxpayers to cover the cost of your subsidy, that's what is ridiculous. DC covers the direct costs of the difference between the normal fare and student subsidized fare - and explain to me again why you, as a non-resident of D.C., should somehow be entitled to this discount?

God, the sense of entitlement on these boards is unbelievable.

MoCo, PGC, FFX, and Arlington taxpayers pay into Metro as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The counties subsidize transportation for children attending school in the county in cases where school bus service is not provided. In DC, this is for almost 100% of the student population as the only school buses are for children with special needs or schools that have "failed". Why should the county subsidize getting children to and from private school?

I believe you are mistaken. DC regularly subsidizes DC students traveling to private schools in DC. Why would students who choose to attend private schools be treated any differently? It's only an issue when there's a cross-border situation.

Why should they be treated differently? Because they don't live in DC and don't pay DC taxes dumbass.

Try reading more closely. "DC regularly subsidizes DC students traveling to private schools in DC." I was specifically writing about students who live in DC and attend private schools in DC. What matters for subsidy is where the student and school are located, not whether it's private or public.

[Anonymous]

DC students should not be allowed to ride for free to ride outside of the physical boundaries. Would that make it fair? Stay in your own place and go to your own schools and enjoy your discount metro fares.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This question is ridiculous. Can you explain why you think DC should subsidize your transportation to private school when there is likely a public school within walking distance of your house?

I actually can see the public school out of my kitchen window. But it's a shitty public school. We chose a private school. Over 30K per year in tuition. Not an easy stretch for us. So every penny counts. What's ridiculous about that?

maybe you should of thought about the school when you moved there?

[Anonymous]

My MD student attends a private school in DC. Since we cannot get a reduced metro fare it is more economical for me to just drive her there and back every day. Sorry for adding to your traffic woes DC but you make me do it. It's offset by her 4 friends who (reduced fare) Metro to MD (only through MD stops ironically) each day to get to their private school.

[Anonymous]

DC pays for the transportation of public school students as the counties and schools districts do. Private school students have to pay their own way, as it should be. While I appreciate making every penny count, its hard to be sympathetic given families pay so much for many privates.

[Anonymous]

Some year I'd love to see all of the private school people just go and enroll their kids in their local public. What a panic the school systems would have! Thousands and thousands of taxpayers' kids funneling into systems that would need to accommodate them . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC pays for the transportation of public school students as the counties and schools districts do. Private school students have to pay their own way, as it should be. While I appreciate making every penny count, its hard to be sympathetic given families pay so much for many privates.

The problem is that you're just plain wrong on the facts. DC does subsidize transportation for private school students, just as much as it subsidizes for public school students.

The School Transit Subsidy Program provides reduced fares for District students who use Metrobus, Metrorail, or the DC Circulator to travel to and from school. This program serves students attending a DCPS school, Charter and Private Schools as well as students participating in educational programs in the District.
http://ddot.dc.gov/DC/DDOT/Services/Transit+Subsidies/School+Transit+Subsidy+Program

2. Students must reside in the District of Columbia and attend a District public, charter, parochial or private school.
http://www.wmata.com/fares/smartstudent_pass.cfm

[Anonymous]

Live in DC, kid in private school in DC, have gotten the subsidy. (Didn't actually work well for us because the most reliable public transit access to get from one point in DC to another in DC was actually a Ride-on bus so the MoCo rules kicked in.)

While the feds and various local govts all contribute to funding WMATA, some programs are paid for exclusively by one jurisdiction. This is one example.

DC does plenty of subsidizing of transit used by non-residents (see, e.g., The Circulator), but AFAIK only in situations where the service is available to anyone (vs. one where specific individuals get a benefit).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My MD student attends a private school in DC. Since we cannot get a reduced metro fare it is more economical for me to just drive her there and back every day. Sorry for adding to your traffic woes DC but you make me do it. It's offset by her 4 friends who (reduced fare) Metro to MD (only through MD stops ironically) each day to get to their private school.

Boy, you really are wrong about absolutely everything, aren't you OP? Neither DC nor Maryland chooses to pay for subsidized metro fares for resident students who attend out-of-state schools. I don't know where your child's 4 friends live, but if they're crossing the Maryland/DC border to get to school, they're paying a full metro fare. And, seriously, "you make me do it"? Get a life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MD student attends a private school in DC. Since we cannot get a reduced metro fare it is more economical for me to just drive her there and back every day. Sorry for adding to your traffic woes DC but you make me do it. It's offset by her 4 friends who (reduced fare) Metro to MD (only through MD stops ironically) each day to get to their private school.

Boy, you really are wrong about absolutely everything, aren't you OP? Neither DC nor Maryland chooses to pay for subsidized metro fares for resident students who attend out-of-state schools. I don't know where your child's 4 friends live, but if they're crossing the Maryland/DC border to get to school, they're paying a full metro fare. And, seriously, "you make me do it"? Get a life.

Actually I'm not wrong about much of anything. First of all I'm not the OP so you're the one wrong on that one. Secondly the 4 friends all have their discount student fare passes uploaded to their DC One cards (Which as DC residents they use for ID, library cards etc. ) and travel outbound on the Red Line every day using the embedded Smart Trip. If you read the description of the student fare, the student rates are available to "DC residents who travel to school." It does not specify that they must travel to a DC school. It has been like this all of last year and so far this year . . .

[Anonymous]

You can only use the student passes for Metro trains ($30/month) to travel to/from the first stop outside DC (in addition to the DC stations). This accommodates DC residents who live closer to a MD station than a DC station, like those in Shepherd Park DC who are closer to the Silver Spring station than the Takoma DC station.