Reply to 70% of WMATA bus riders don't pay

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Not a single person responding to this thread has given me a legitimate reason the DC government can’t just make WMATA buses free.  If they made them free, it would instantly solve the so-called issue of “fare evasion.”

Problem solved! [/quote]

In order for public transit to operate effectively it has to be a good, safe option for the general public to ride in enough number that it legitimately eases traffic congestion and arguably helps the economy too with people going to work, schools, etc. When too many people aren’t paying it begins to feel less safe and riders of means stay away, causing more road congestion, worse service, etc. We finally see Metro trains safety stats much improved with fare enforcement, the return of federal workers and more critical mass of commuter traffic. These systems cost money to run. Allowing it to be taken over by those who can’t or won’t pay will further drive away potential riders and make the system less economically viable to the region. There are already subsidized fare cards.[/quote]

I see it differently.  I think public transportation should be free for everyone, because it is in the public interest for people to use public transportation - in the same way we subsidize roads, schools, parks, museums, libraries, etc.

Subsidizing fare cards may make it more accessible for those whose transportation options are limited by their finances, but if a rider doesn’t qualify for the subsidy, they may well decide in a comparison of the costs/benefits of public transportation to driving and parking, that they might as well just take their car.  If it were free, that would shift the balance so that “riders of means” would be more likely to choose WMATA, bringing with them whatever safety gains may be associated with their ridership.

If more drivers decided to take advantage of public transportation, it would reduce gas consumption, pollution, and congestion.  Moreover, I think making it more affordable to come into the city on Metro without having to hassle with the traffic and then finding and paying for parking would encourage more people to come into the city for restaurants, shows, etc., stimulating DC’s economy.[/quote]

Fine with this concept if we have a workfare system where every able bodied adult on public assistance is in skill training or doing public service work.

But if we keep giving handouts the “freeloader” class will just expect more and more free stuff.  [/quote]

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But my point is that public transportation should be free not to benefit the “freeloader class”, but to benefit society as a whole.  Public transportation should be considered an integral part of our essential infrastructure - like sidewalks, hiking trails, bike paths, local roads, and the interstate highway system.  We recognize that everyone has a fundamental need to get from one place to another, and that it benefits society to help them do that.  Moreover, public transportation is better for the community than private transportation which consumes more gas, pollutes everyone’s air, causes congestion, increases accidents not only through sheer statistical probability because of the larger quantity of drivers on the road, but also because individual drivers are more likely to be drunk, high, incompetent, or engaging in aggressive driving .

However, since “handouts” and “free stuff” offend you, I presume you want to make every road a toll road (at least to personal vehicles, or do you want to charge commercial vehicles for road access as well?), charge tuition for public schools, make the library a subscription service (restricting access to subscribers), and charge admission to the Smithsonian museums, the National Zoo, parks and playgrounds, the National Mall, the monuments, etc.  [/quote]

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