Anonymous
09/27/2024 06:15
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
WMATA announced a $24 million budget surplus this year.
Anonymous
09/27/2024 05:49
Subject: Re:WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
irrationally scared of public transportation
There is nothing irrational about it. Some of us work off hours. DC stay late at school for practice. I will not ride metro in the evening.
Anonymous
09/27/2024 05:15
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I think all of these comments are misguided. WMATA was not set up to be able to pay for itself. Splitting the cost between 3 jurisdictions who have no obligation to pay causes a mountain of issues. Other jurisdictions don't have this issue, although almost every system in the country is facing funding problems so Metro is not unique.
and how would spending a lot more money on this blackhole solve any of this?
If WMATA was given dedicated funding from each jurisdiction, it would immediately budget to use that funding. WMATA would then ask for an increase in the dedicated funding. Rinse and repeat. There's never enough money to do everything, but government organizations don't seem to understand that.
Anonymous
09/26/2024 23:14
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Anonymous wrote:I think all of these comments are misguided. WMATA was not set up to be able to pay for itself. Splitting the cost between 3 jurisdictions who have no obligation to pay causes a mountain of issues. Other jurisdictions don't have this issue, although almost every system in the country is facing funding problems so Metro is not unique.
and how would spending a lot more money on this blackhole solve any of this?
Anonymous
09/26/2024 11:47
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Anonymous wrote:I think all of these comments are misguided. WMATA was not set up to be able to pay for itself. Splitting the cost between 3 jurisdictions who have no obligation to pay causes a mountain of issues. Other jurisdictions don't have this issue, although almost every system in the country is facing funding problems so Metro is not unique.
Add in intrastate Maryland and Virginia politics and it's even worse.
Anonymous
09/26/2024 11:10
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
I think all of these comments are misguided. WMATA was not set up to be able to pay for itself. Splitting the cost between 3 jurisdictions who have no obligation to pay causes a mountain of issues. Other jurisdictions don't have this issue, although almost every system in the country is facing funding problems so Metro is not unique.
Anonymous
09/26/2024 10:59
Subject: Re:WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Well, at least people use the subway. We've spent billions on bike lanes that almost no one uses. On a cost-per-user basis, there is no form of transportation that is more expensive than bike lanes. It would have been cheaper for the city to buy every single bicyclist a Ferrari.
Anonymous
09/26/2024 10:56
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Nope. Automate out all those worthless employees who don't do anything anyway. Cut salaries. The only meat you need are engineers and maintenance crews. Everyone else are highly overpaid leeches getting paid multiple six figures to do nothing. They also get pensions for doing no work. Cut pensions too.
The whole thing is in a death spiral. The workers are bankrupting the system, which means they have to increase prices. But increased prices discourage ridership, so the revenue declines. Rinse and repeat, it's a vicious cycle. The only solution Democrats ever come up with is raising price and taxes. Maybe they should learn for once that they have spending problems.
The metro is ridiculously expensive. No wonder why people stop taking it.
This. You gotta look at spending. Ridership is down, but not so much that it alone would explain the funding gap. Especially since prices are up. Uncollected fares are a very small part of the problem, especially after the new fare gates. What is the biggest category of spending? Salaries. Sucks to say, but WMATA has been a DC jobs program for far too long, and everyone knows it
Remember when WMATA hired basically anyone to do track inspections and those employees signed off on track inspections?
https://www.fox5dc.com/news/report-details-numerous-problems-with-metros-track-inspection-and-maintenance-program
Anonymous
09/26/2024 09:59
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Fare evasion is a tiny part of WMATAs budget issues and they’ve gone ahead and installed new fare gates everywhere if that’s your issue
It is the principle. They shouldn’t be asking for more money if they can’t be bothered to collect fares.
Yes and that’s why they installed new gates. But you don’t care about that you just want to run down transit and public spending so we have shit services and can blame the govt for not working
It was the government who legalized fare evasion.
The government is not to blame for legalizing fare evasion?
WMATA and DC are different governments with overlapping jurisdictions btw.
Anonymous
09/26/2024 09:56
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Fare evasion is a tiny part of WMATAs budget issues and they’ve gone ahead and installed new fare gates everywhere if that’s your issue
It is the principle. They shouldn’t be asking for more money if they can’t be bothered to collect fares.
Yes and that’s why they installed new gates. But you don’t care about that you just want to run down transit and public spending so we have shit services and can blame the govt for not working
It was the government who legalized fare evasion.
The government is not to blame for legalizing fare evasion?
Anonymous
09/26/2024 09:53
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Anonymous wrote:Nope. Automate out all those worthless employees who don't do anything anyway. Cut salaries. The only meat you need are engineers and maintenance crews. Everyone else are highly overpaid leeches getting paid multiple six figures to do nothing. They also get pensions for doing no work. Cut pensions too.
The whole thing is in a death spiral. The workers are bankrupting the system, which means they have to increase prices. But increased prices discourage ridership, so the revenue declines. Rinse and repeat, it's a vicious cycle. The only solution Democrats ever come up with is raising price and taxes. Maybe they should learn for once that they have spending problems.
The metro is ridiculously expensive. No wonder why people stop taking it.
This. You gotta look at spending. Ridership is down, but not so much that it alone would explain the funding gap. Especially since prices are up. Uncollected fares are a very small part of the problem, especially after the new fare gates. What is the biggest category of spending? Salaries. Sucks to say, but WMATA has been a DC jobs program for far too long, and everyone knows it
Anonymous
09/26/2024 07:35
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Bike lanes are killing transit.
No they're not. But high prices and limited service schedules are.
This. Not only has the red line been a nightmare for YEARS, but it costs me less to drive into DC and park than to park my car at a metro lot and ride metro. I also have the comfort of my own car and the relative predictability of driving vs the complete cluster of the metro schedule. Add that there have been a couple of times where I haven’t felt safe on a metro car and I won’t ride it anymore. I don’t want my tax dollars going to more of this.
well I don’t want my tax dollars to go towards subsidizing roads and parking for people irrationally scared of public transportation. (the only way driving into DC is cheaper is if your parking is heavily subsidized.)
Anonymous
09/26/2024 07:31
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Bike lanes are killing transit.
No they're not. But high prices and limited service schedules are.
This. Not only has the red line been a nightmare for YEARS, but it costs me less to drive into DC and park than to park my car at a metro lot and ride metro. I also have the comfort of my own car and the relative predictability of driving vs the complete cluster of the metro schedule. Add that there have been a couple of times where I haven’t felt safe on a metro car and I won’t ride it anymore. I don’t want my tax dollars going to more of this.
Anonymous
09/26/2024 06:52
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Nope. Automate out all those worthless employees who don't do anything anyway. Cut salaries. The only meat you need are engineers and maintenance crews. Everyone else are highly overpaid leeches getting paid multiple six figures to do nothing. They also get pensions for doing no work. Cut pensions too.
The whole thing is in a death spiral. The workers are bankrupting the system, which means they have to increase prices. But increased prices discourage ridership, so the revenue declines. Rinse and repeat, it's a vicious cycle. The only solution Democrats ever come up with is raising price and taxes. Maybe they should learn for once that they have spending problems.
The metro is ridiculously expensive. No wonder why people stop taking it.
The whole thing is in a death spiral. The workers are bankrupting the system, which means they have to increase prices. But increased prices discourage ridership, so the revenue declines. Rinse and repeat, it's a vicious cycle. The only solution Democrats ever come up with is raising price and taxes. Maybe they should learn for once that they have spending problems.
The metro is ridiculously expensive. No wonder why people stop taking it.
Anonymous
09/26/2024 05:45
Subject: WAMTA Requesting Another Billion of Taxpayer Money
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Fare evasion is a tiny part of WMATAs budget issues and they’ve gone ahead and installed new fare gates everywhere if that’s your issue
It is the principle. They shouldn’t be asking for more money if they can’t be bothered to collect fares.
Yes and that’s why they installed new gates. But you don’t care about that you just want to run down transit and public spending so we have shit services and can blame the govt for not working