WMATA feedback on proposed cuts

[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.

Plus, making Metro and buses free will reduce the amount of Universal Basic Income we need to pay to underprivileged people who choose not be employed.

[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.

Where is the $ going to come from for that, as CRE implodes?

[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.

There's also research that shows that when the cost of a good or service is free, people treat it as having no value. Meaning crime, vandalism, the generally poor maintenance of Metro and buses would only get worse.

[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??!?

[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??!?

The criminals lobby - the effing woke, "activist", self-proclaimed social justice warriors. They are responsible for the increase in murders and other crimes in DC.

[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??!?

It’s not criminal to refuse to pay a fare. The law was rightly done away with because of its disproportionate negative effect on persons of color. Seethe elsewhere.

[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??!?

It’s not criminal to refuse to pay a fare. The law was rightly done away with because of its disproportionate negative effect on persons of color. Seethe elsewhere.

WTF?

What does paying or not paying a bus fare have to do with skin tone? Not paying has a disproportionate effect on people of color because the bus drivers are almost entirely people of color and they are the ones that are going to lose their jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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??!?

It’s not criminal to refuse to pay a fare. The law was rightly done away with because of its disproportionate negative effect on persons of color. Seethe elsewhere.

WTF?

What does paying or not paying a bus fare have to do with skin tone? Not paying has a disproportionate effect on people of color because the bus drivers are almost entirely people of color and they are the ones that are going to lose their jobs.

Enjoy paying. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, though. No one pays on the bus anymore and most try to cheat the turnstiles on the subway. It’s pretty easy and really NBD.

[Anonymous]

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!

Thanks for sharing, I responded to the survey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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

No, I would rather raise taxes so that people can ride the buses for free in DC.
DC students, employees, Fed Employees should have free rides.
Secondly as anther pp mentioned, half of the time the fare boxes do not work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe they should just only have metro service in the district. Why should dc subsidize a commuter rail?

It other way around.

DC suburbs many time the population of the DC resident. For excample, nearly 2x people live in fairfax than the DC.

Suburb resident tax money subsidize DC resident fare. Suburb resident working DC buying the food and employer paying DC tax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It other way around.

DC suburbs many time the population of the DC resident. For excample, nearly 2x people live in fairfax than the DC.

Suburb resident tax money subsidize DC resident fare. Suburb resident working DC buying the food and employer paying DC tax.

So what? DC is the center of the metro area, Fairfax is not, and 10x the amount of Fairfax residents work in DC than District residents who work in Fairfax. Nobody said you had to like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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

Well yes, that’s the purpose of the survey, please fill it out.

Metro’s board is made up of mostly local elected government officials. Metro employees can suggest things, but these decisions are up to the board.

So you should be lobbying your elected officials and the board to make these changes.

[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.

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.

There's also research that shows that when the cost of a good or service is free, people treat it as having no value. Meaning crime, vandalism, the generally poor maintenance of Metro and buses would only get worse.

Yep. You have to charge at least a token fare, otherwise people treat it like trash.