WMATA feedback on proposed cuts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://wmata.questionpro.com/a/TakeSurvey?tt=rHO2gutfWB8ECHrPeIW9eQ%3D%3D

Survey regarding potential fee increases and service closures. They are planning to remove all bus service easily accessible for me — check your neighborhood!

Just jump the turnstile It’s legal

I cannot get on a bus that does not come to my neighborhood any more, even if I was complaining about having to pay for it (which I’m not).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is the nation's capital, it is supposed to be a global world class city. One of the survey questions asked about a metro proposal to end service at 10pm.

Hard pass on that.

That will lead to surge pricing for tourists, low income employees and people on fixed incomes.

MD/VA should encourage their residents to use metro to lower carbon emissions for climate change purposes. They don't necessarily have to come into DC but using parts of the system helps.

Metro doesn't go anywhere in the suburbs. It goes to downtown DC, and nowhere else. It is useless for me.

You clearly have no knowledge about the service area and the services provided.

Look at a service map. If you live in DC proper, metro and metro bus are going to be relatively close to you. If you live in Maryland or DC, the odds are that stations are further and less convenient and bus service is non existent. Even if you do live near a line, the system is designed to bring you into DC's urban core not to help you run errands. Now that commuting ridership is down, MD and VA should stop subsidizing DC riders

Metro was designed to take suburbanites to downtown jobs. It also serves to take people to sporting events, whether Nats, DC United, Caps, or Wizards. If the latter 2 actually move to NoVa, Metro will be a key component of the transpo plan.

It sounds like it benefits DC businesses. Maybe MD and VA taxpayers shouldn't be subsidizing a system designed to take their residents to another jurisdiction, especially now that they are building competing employment centers

Stupid reply. Maybe, then, DC businesses should not employ MD or VA residents. Or, maybe, DC should change the tax compact that prevents DC from taxing MD and VA residents who work in DC. Maybe, Metro should charge a higher fare to MD and VA who come to DC to watch a Nats or DC United game.

DC can change it's law however they choose to. I doubt MD and VA congressmen would support it though

DC can not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to criminalize fare jumping.

Yes, they do! How can Metro and the DC government ask Metro's fare-paying passengers and local taxpayers to pay for higher fares and higher subsidies when freeloaders still are allowed to steal services from Metro with impunity?

Because fare evasion is worth 0.000000001% of Metro's budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to criminalize fare jumping.

Yes, they do! How can Metro and the DC government ask Metro's fare-paying passengers and local taxpayers to pay for higher fares and higher subsidies when freeloaders still are allowed to steal services from Metro with impunity?

Because fare evasion is worth 0.000000001% of Metro's budget.

It's about $40 million in lost revenue per year. That's not chump change. But it is a lot of theft.

[Anonymous]

I ride the bus regularly and the number of times the fare box isn’t working or I’m just told by the driver not to scan is at least 50% of rides. The times that I do scan, I am one of the few doing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to criminalize fare jumping.

Yes, they do! How can Metro and the DC government ask Metro's fare-paying passengers and local taxpayers to pay for higher fares and higher subsidies when freeloaders still are allowed to steal services from Metro with impunity?

Because fare evasion is worth 0.000000001% of Metro's budget.

It's about $40 million in lost revenue per year. That's not chump change. But it is a lot of theft.

Could it pay for more transit police? If so, it's a loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ride the bus regularly and the number of times the fare box isn’t working or I’m just told by the driver not to scan is at least 50% of rides. The times that I do scan, I am one of the few doing it.

Repairing the bus costs money. WMATA is saving money by not fixing it.

[Anonymous]

Please ask Metro to hire more Metro police

Please ask Metro to have its police arrest and prosecute fare evaders

Please ask Metro to lobby the DC council to RE-CRIMINALIZE fare evasion / gate jumpin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to criminalize fare jumping.

Yes, they do! How can Metro and the DC government ask Metro's fare-paying passengers and local taxpayers to pay for higher fares and higher subsidies when freeloaders still are allowed to steal services from Metro with impunity?

Because fare evasion is worth 0.000000001% of Metro's budget.

This is blatant disinformation.

Fare evasion is a massive loss as a percentage of Metro’s budget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to criminalize fare jumping.

Yes, they do! How can Metro and the DC government ask Metro's fare-paying passengers and local taxpayers to pay for higher fares and higher subsidies when freeloaders still are allowed to steal services from Metro with impunity?

Because fare evasion is worth 0.000000001% of Metro's budget.

This is blatant disinformation.

Fare evasion is a massive loss as a percentage of Metro’s budget.

But worrying about fate evasion is a red herring. WMATA should just drop fares altogether for everyone. There’s good economic research showing that free public transportation strengthens a local economy: makes it easier for low income people to get to jobs (increasing the local tax base); reduces drunk driving; improves air quality as it takes care off the road.

Some cities have started doing this. DC should too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to criminalize fare jumping.

Yes, they do! How can Metro and the DC government ask Metro's fare-paying passengers and local taxpayers to pay for higher fares and higher subsidies when freeloaders still are allowed to steal services from Metro with impunity?

Because fare evasion is worth 0.000000001% of Metro's budget.

It's about $40 million in lost revenue per year. That's not chump change. But it is a lot of theft.

On top of that $40 million lost right out of the metro budget, one-third of bus riders are not paying:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/unpaid-bus-fares-wmata-loses-millions/65-ee414179-fa8a-4d7a-8043-dafbae4e7a2d

This level of theft from the budget is not sustainable.

Why are many in DC defending theft and criminality? WHO are these people??!?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to criminalize fare jumping.

Yes, they do! How can Metro and the DC government ask Metro's fare-paying passengers and local taxpayers to pay for higher fares and higher subsidies when freeloaders still are allowed to steal services from Metro with impunity?

Because fare evasion is worth 0.000000001% of Metro's budget.

It's about $40 million in lost revenue per year. That's not chump change. But it is a lot of theft.

On top of that $40 million lost right out of the metro budget, one-third of bus riders are not paying:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/unpaid-bus-fares-wmata-loses-millions/65-ee414179-fa8a-4d7a-8043-dafbae4e7a2d

This level of theft from the budget is not sustainable.

Why are many in DC defending theft and criminality? WHO are these people??!?

IME, this isn’t theft. I can’t pay because the fare box on the bus is almost always out of order. I regularly ride the bus and the amount of times I can’t pay even when I try to is astonishing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to criminalize fare jumping.

Yes, they do! How can Metro and the DC government ask Metro's fare-paying passengers and local taxpayers to pay for higher fares and higher subsidies when freeloaders still are allowed to steal services from Metro with impunity?

Because fare evasion is worth 0.000000001% of Metro's budget.

It's about $40 million in lost revenue per year. That's not chump change. But it is a lot of theft.

On top of that $40 million lost right out of the metro budget, one-third of bus riders are not paying:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/unpaid-bus-fares-wmata-loses-millions/65-ee414179-fa8a-4d7a-8043-dafbae4e7a2d

This level of theft from the budget is not sustainable.

Why are many in DC defending theft and criminality? WHO are these people??!?

IME, this isn’t theft. I can’t pay because the fare box on the bus is almost always out of order. I regularly ride the bus and the amount of times I can’t pay even when I try to is astonishing.

Don't worry. I am sure the brakes are in working order.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to criminalize fare jumping.

Yes, they do! How can Metro and the DC government ask Metro's fare-paying passengers and local taxpayers to pay for higher fares and higher subsidies when freeloaders still are allowed to steal services from Metro with impunity?

Because fare evasion is worth 0.000000001% of Metro's budget.

It's about $40 million in lost revenue per year. That's not chump change. But it is a lot of theft.

On top of that $40 million lost right out of the metro budget, one-third of bus riders are not paying:

https://www.wusa9.com/article/traffic/unpaid-bus-fares-wmata-loses-millions/65-ee414179-fa8a-4d7a-8043-dafbae4e7a2d

This level of theft from the budget is not sustainable.

Why are many in DC defending theft and criminality? WHO are these people??!?

IME, this isn’t theft. I can’t pay because the fare box on the bus is almost always out of order. I regularly ride the bus and the amount of times I can’t pay even when I try to is astonishing.

No. Your post in an anecdote, not evidence.

Bring back fare enforcement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Need to criminalize fare jumping.

Yes, they do! How can Metro and the DC government ask Metro's fare-paying passengers and local taxpayers to pay for higher fares and higher subsidies when freeloaders still are allowed to steal services from Metro with impunity?

Because fare evasion is worth 0.000000001% of Metro's budget.

This is blatant disinformation.

Fare evasion is a massive loss as a percentage of Metro’s budget.

But worrying about fate evasion is a red herring. WMATA should just drop fares altogether for everyone. There’s good economic research showing that free public transportation strengthens a local economy: makes it easier for low income people to get to jobs (increasing the local tax base); reduces drunk driving; improves air quality as it takes care off the road.

Some cities have started doing this. DC should too.

That would be great but also very expensive. Who and how are we supposed to pay for this new benefit? The budget is already stretched very thin due to all the new services and spending the Council has initiated over the past few years.

What are your suggestions for the budget cuts needed to cover this new spending?