Metro warns of huge budget deficits and a death spiral

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sure, it might not go away. Have fun waiting 30 minutes to 1 hour between trains though when that’s the only way ot can remain economically viable, lol.

Roads are not economically viable, lol.

But at least I don’t gotta be held hostage by ridiculous wait times like the metro is foreseeing because it is in massive trouble and needs to severely cut service in order to rein in costs.

You do know car traffic exists too, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sure, it might not go away. Have fun waiting 30 minutes to 1 hour between trains though when that’s the only way ot can remain economically viable, lol.

Roads are not economically viable, lol.

But at least I don’t gotta be held hostage by ridiculous wait times like the metro is foreseeing because it is in massive trouble and needs to severely cut service in order to rein in costs.

So you have never sat in wall to wall traffic on 66 or I-95 or the BW Parkway, waiting hours of your life due to a traffic accident or construction or both? Because I have.

I've also watched as many of these roads build more and more lanes but make them toll lanes, so that even though my taxpayer dollars go to pay for the road itself (which is astronomically expensive, roads are a huge cost center), if I want the road to work well for me, I have to pay even more in tolls.

And the addition of lanes never seems to address the traffic issues, which get worse each year (other than a couple years of improvement during Covid). The only thing that would actually improve traffic concerns? Fewer cars on the road. Which means: better public transportation.

It is beyond myopic to argue that we should stop funding metro. That would just put MORE people on the roads. Who does that help? And most people are not paying the tolls and as a PP explained, the gas tax doesn't come close to covering the cost of roads, plus with the shift to EVs, we'll eventually see less gas tax revenue anyway. I mean, what is your plan here?

Glad the OP of this dumb thread is not actually in charge of transportation policy.

+1

[Anonymous]

I fell asleep on the metro once. Woke up to a woman - a complete stranger - massaging my head.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fell asleep on the metro once. Woke up to a woman - a complete stranger - massaging my head.

I've fallen asleep on the Metro lots of times. One time I missed my station and had to get out and go back the other way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Sure, it might not go away. Have fun waiting 30 minutes to 1 hour between trains though when that’s the only way ot can remain economically viable, lol.

Roads are not economically viable, lol.

But at least I don’t gotta be held hostage by ridiculous wait times like the metro is foreseeing because it is in massive trouble and needs to severely cut service in order to rein in costs.

You do know car traffic exists too, right?

Still better than riding a train with public masturbators.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people complaining about metro are living in an alternate reality. I have taken metro almost daily for 20 years. I’ve never seen a real crime. Never seen anyone masturbating. Stinkiness is rare(more common in the summer afternoon/evening—I do wish male workers would wear more reasonable clothes for DC summers). Loud music only once or twice in twenty minutes years. Have seen mentally ill people doing something troublesome a few times in twenty years.
I don’t know what Mad Max scenario these metro critics are envisioning but it does not match my experience. And it is still cheaper than downtown parking.
Fwiw, I’m a middle aged white lady from the suburbs and probably more crime averse than average. I wouldn’t ride around the city by msyself at midnight but commuting is totally fine.

Don't believe you.

You seriously think it's impossible to ride Metro daily without witnessing a crime? I don't know how valuable anecdotal evidence is here, but for what it's worth, I also have never seen a real crime on Metro, in more than 20 years of more or less daily commuting.

I ride the metro pretty often (although not commuting since the pandemic). These are the crimes I’ve seen:
- kid grabbed a phone from another rider’s hand (once in a decade of using the metro; I was the rider whose phone got stolen and the metro police got it back for me actually)
- fare evasion (I’ll give the PPs this — I see this almost every time I get on)
- begging/busking (not really a crime but mildly annoying)

That’s it; that’s the sum total. I’ve never seen someone actively smoking a joint although I’ve definitely smelled people who were clearly smoking recently.

[Anonymous]

I second the "calm down and take your meds."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

They are cracking down severely on fare evaders. And you do realize that for everyone who rides metro, you're taking a car off the road. That's less congestion on every major road.

NP who rides the metro fairly regularly and has fairly uneventful rides 95% of the time. One thing they are not actually doing is cracking down on fare evaders. I rode the metro twice this weekend and saw at least six different people jump the fare gates or running in after someone else paid. There were security and metro employees who just watched them do it and didn’t say a word. There were also signs right there that said metro is cracking down on fare evasion. I actually think a PP was onto something when they said cut down on metro employees who do nothing to cut costs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

They are cracking down severely on fare evaders. And you do realize that for everyone who rides metro, you're taking a car off the road. That's less congestion on every major road.

NP who rides the metro fairly regularly and has fairly uneventful rides 95% of the time. One thing they are not actually doing is cracking down on fare evaders. I rode the metro twice this weekend and saw at least six different people jump the fare gates or running in after someone else paid. There were security and metro employees who just watched them do it and didn’t say a word. There were also signs right there that said metro is cracking down on fare evasion. I actually think a PP was onto something when they said cut down on metro employees who do nothing to cut costs.

What are metro employees supposed to do? Progressive voters claimed punishing fare evasion is racist so decriminalized it. You want a functional metro then set some standards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

They are cracking down severely on fare evaders. And you do realize that for everyone who rides metro, you're taking a car off the road. That's less congestion on every major road.

NP who rides the metro fairly regularly and has fairly uneventful rides 95% of the time. One thing they are not actually doing is cracking down on fare evaders. I rode the metro twice this weekend and saw at least six different people jump the fare gates or running in after someone else paid. There were security and metro employees who just watched them do it and didn’t say a word. There were also signs right there that said metro is cracking down on fare evasion. I actually think a PP was onto something when they said cut down on metro employees who do nothing to cut costs.

What are metro employees supposed to do? Progressive voters claimed punishing fare evasion is racist so decriminalized it. You want a functional metro then set some standards.

Tell them to pay a fare? Fine them? Lots of things are decriminalized, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a penalty for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

They are cracking down severely on fare evaders. And you do realize that for everyone who rides metro, you're taking a car off the road. That's less congestion on every major road.

NP who rides the metro fairly regularly and has fairly uneventful rides 95% of the time. One thing they are not actually doing is cracking down on fare evaders. I rode the metro twice this weekend and saw at least six different people jump the fare gates or running in after someone else paid. There were security and metro employees who just watched them do it and didn’t say a word. There were also signs right there that said metro is cracking down on fare evasion. I actually think a PP was onto something when they said cut down on metro employees who do nothing to cut costs.

This morning I had a guy trying to sneak through behind me on my fare complain I was two slow when my phone took an extra beat to register paying my fare

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

They are cracking down severely on fare evaders. And you do realize that for everyone who rides metro, you're taking a car off the road. That's less congestion on every major road.

NP who rides the metro fairly regularly and has fairly uneventful rides 95% of the time. One thing they are not actually doing is cracking down on fare evaders. I rode the metro twice this weekend and saw at least six different people jump the fare gates or running in after someone else paid. There were security and metro employees who just watched them do it and didn’t say a word. There were also signs right there that said metro is cracking down on fare evasion. I actually think a PP was onto something when they said cut down on metro employees who do nothing to cut costs.

What are metro employees supposed to do? Progressive voters claimed punishing fare evasion is racist so decriminalized it. You want a functional metro then set some standards.

Tell them to pay a fare? Fine them? Lots of things are decriminalized, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a penalty for it.

Police aren't supposed to stop people for non-criminal offenses anymore. Regular metro employees have no authority to detain anyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality of public transit:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/mission-metro/metro-warns-massive-service-cuts-death-spiral-transit-750-million-shortfall/65-9c0dc54f-8f65-46c4-8390-51e8108ac1a5


Where are the anti-car fascists now? Have fun going to work or doing things on the weekend. The anti-car crowd loves to give pie in the sky calculations that never account for human factors like crime, overrun costs, inefficiencies, and huge bloated salaries and benefits for the unionized workers bankrupting the system. So glad we are spending billions more on this black hole with the purple line. Watch, the only solution they’ll come up with is to increase taxes and to increase fares to outrageous prices. It has never dawned on them to start with common sense ideas like increasing safety and severely punishing fare evaders. Why should anyone pay of a huge portion of people ride for free already?

They are cracking down severely on fare evaders. And you do realize that for everyone who rides metro, you're taking a car off the road. That's less congestion on every major road.

NP who rides the metro fairly regularly and has fairly uneventful rides 95% of the time. One thing they are not actually doing is cracking down on fare evaders. I rode the metro twice this weekend and saw at least six different people jump the fare gates or running in after someone else paid. There were security and metro employees who just watched them do it and didn’t say a word. There were also signs right there that said metro is cracking down on fare evasion. I actually think a PP was onto something when they said cut down on metro employees who do nothing to cut costs.

What are metro employees supposed to do? Progressive voters claimed punishing fare evasion is racist so decriminalized it. You want a functional metro then set some standards.

Tell them to pay a fare? Fine them? Lots of things are decriminalized, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a penalty for it.

Police aren't supposed to stop people for non-criminal offenses anymore. Regular metro employees have no authority to detain anyone.

A fine for fare evaders isn't likely to be criminal either. So, something else they won't pay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people complaining about metro are living in an alternate reality. I have taken metro almost daily for 20 years. I’ve never seen a real crime. Never seen anyone masturbating. Stinkiness is rare (more common in the summer afternoon/evening—I do wish male workers would wear more reasonable clothes for DC summers). Loud music only once or twice in twenty minutes years. Have seen mentally ill people doing something troublesome a few times in twenty years.
I don’t know what Mad Max scenario these metro critics are envisioning but it does not match my experience. And it is still cheaper than downtown parking.
Fwiw, I’m a middle aged white lady from the suburbs and probably more crime averse than average. I wouldn’t ride around the city by msyself at midnight but commuting is totally fine.

Agree, NP. Been riding metro regularly since the mid-90s. Mostly red, green line EOTP. I will say there are not infrequently obnoxious teenagers and spaced out/sleeping (what look to be) homeless folks; panhandlers, music, loud cellphones, yes. But I'm not sure I've ever seen a physical altercation, or really any altercation, much less a crime, unless hopping turnstiles counts. And zero masturbation, sorry Fox news poster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The people complaining about metro are living in an alternate reality. I have taken metro almost daily for 20 years. I’ve never seen a real crime. Never seen anyone masturbating. Stinkiness is rare (more common in the summer afternoon/evening—I do wish male workers would wear more reasonable clothes for DC summers). Loud music only once or twice in twenty minutes years. Have seen mentally ill people doing something troublesome a few times in twenty years.
I don’t know what Mad Max scenario these metro critics are envisioning but it does not match my experience. And it is still cheaper than downtown parking.
Fwiw, I’m a middle aged white lady from the suburbs and probably more crime averse than average. I wouldn’t ride around the city by msyself at midnight but commuting is totally fine.

Agree, NP. Been riding metro regularly since the mid-90s. Mostly red, green line EOTP. I will say there are not infrequently obnoxious teenagers and spaced out/sleeping (what look to be) homeless folks; panhandlers, music, loud cellphones, yes. But I'm not sure I've ever seen a physical altercation, or really any altercation, much less a crime, unless hopping turnstiles counts. And zero masturbation, sorry Fox news poster.

Two murders this year alone.

I ride twice a day, either red or green line through NE, and twice this year there has been someone acting potentially violent enough for everyone else to clear the car. A third time a man threatened to stab anyone who stood near him but said anyone who didn’t come close was fine.