Anonymous wrote:It’s too expensive. Metro drinks at the udder of the federal government paying for fare cards for workers.

Most feds are still teleworking. Metro isn't getting that money from feds.

Here is a pretty balanced article about LA's experiment with free transit:

https://www.curbed.com/2022/01/los-angeles-metro-free-transit-buses.html

My take:

No charge for ridership within the boundaries of DC.

Shift the labor of personnel associated with fare collection/machine maintenance/etc. Increase security on all metro cars and improve handicap station access (working, clean, elevators and escalators).

Anonymous wrote:How much does it cost WMATA to collect fares for bus service? Including the technology, security, accounting, auditing and financial controls to ensure that those funds are not stolen?

It's actually quite expensive. My references come from here:

https://www.wmata.com/about/records/upload/Proposed-FY2022-Budget.pdf


Of the 3.1 billion in annual revenue WMATA receives, 222 million is from operating activities (rider fares and parking).

Fare revenue is 66 percent of that 222 million, (146 million)

See page 20 for a nice chart.

The expense of collecting the fares and maintaining its infrastructure is currently approx 106 million across metrorail and metrobus. This not only includes the labor and supplies associated with the physical maintenance of machines (turnstyles, fare collectors/card machines, etc, this also includes the entire system of labor and delivery accountants, accounting software, crosswalks between software, distribution, replacement, and disposal, and production of cards etc)

WMATA's largest expense has always been human capital. Removing station and bus fares from the budget would not substantially harm the budget which is primarily subsidized in this region.

Anonymous wrote:Not only should buses be free, but so should the subway. Gas should be free too, and the government should give away cars too. Restaurants should be free and so should stores.

There's probably a mean old rich guy somewhere who can pay for all the stuff we don't want to have to pay for, right?

If you want to ride the bus, stop being such a fcking pathetic mooch and pay to ride the fkcking bus.

Don't forget a college education! That should be "free" as well!

How much does it cost WMATA to collect fares for bus service? Including the technology, security, accounting, auditing and financial controls to ensure that those funds are not stolen?

Anonymous wrote:I actually think metro bus should be free and we should just allocate taxes to it. This is an expensive city and free public buses would be an investment in a mobile work force. We could require some form of ID so that only District residents could skip paying (not photo ID, but like a metro card that didn't require payment that was only available to residents). It wouldn't be perfect, but it would help people get around.

I used to work at a legal clinic for low income clients and it was not uncommon for people to struggle to come to court dates or other appointments because even finding a few dollars for the bus was a challenge.

lol

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 2 months ago, a young father jump the turnstile to evade fare, fell on his head and died. The media portrayed him a hero to his son! What an embarrassment, to have a dad who died committing a crime.

Happened in NYC.

Was he really evading a fare? I jumped a turnstile because the NYC metro machine was broken. It would not scan my card correctly and there was no human employee to help. I bet I’m not the only one to have to do that.

He really was evading fare. Next time go through the gate, crawl, but don't risk a head injury or death.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Democrats are doing a swell job of leading and serving the people of DC!

What have Republicans ever done for the homeless mentally ill? Oh yeah, that's right, kick them out of the institutions to live in the gutter. Tell mentally ill homeless people who are too messed up to hold down a job to "get a job." Mindnumbingly stupid.

And then have the nerve to run their ignorant mouths about Democrats. Asinine.

Anonymous wrote:Just another example of a democrat run city that legalizes illegal behavior. Do you really need a slide ruler to figure out why crime is skyrocketing in blue cities? They tolerate this bullsh*t.

Yaaawwwnnn.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:About 2 months ago, a young father jump the turnstile to evade fare, fell on his head and died. The media portrayed him a hero to his son! What an embarrassment, to have a dad who died committing a crime.

Happened in NYC.

Was he really evading a fare? I jumped a turnstile because the NYC metro machine was broken. It would not scan my card correctly and there was no human employee to help. I bet I’m not the only one to have to do that.

It’s too expensive. Metro drinks at the udder of the federal government paying for fare cards for workers.

Anonymous wrote:About 2 months ago, a young father jump the turnstile to evade fare, fell on his head and died. The media portrayed him a hero to his son! What an embarrassment, to have a dad who died committing a crime.

Happened in NYC.

About 2 months ago, a young father jump the turnstile to evade fare, fell on his head and died. The media portrayed him a hero to his son! What an embarrassment, to have a dad who died committing a crime.

Anonymous wrote:Wait, so for $20M per year we can make metro free?

That seems like a really good deal.

Plus you can deduct the cost of fare collection, and the buses would run faster if people could just board.

Seems like a great deal until you end up with every train carriage and bus filled with dangerous homeless people stinking of urine.