Are new transit fares fair?
Tanika Johnson relies on the bus for transportation. (Photo by Patrick Anderson)
The Metropolitan Council plans to raise Metro Transit fares by 25 cents on October 1 and by an additional 50 cents some time in 2009. The Met Council is hosting a series of eight public hearings on the fare increase from July 6 to July 15.
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“We want public feedback,” said Steve Dornfeld, Director of Public Affairs for the council. “The fare increase is not something we propose lightly.”
Katie Eukel, communications manager for Transit for Livable Communities, opposes the fare increases.
“Instead of raising fares we think there are alternatives that could fill the shortfall,” Eukel said. “Transit riders should be aware of these debates.”
Eukel said the Metropolitan Council has a “rainy-day” fund of $19 million set aside for situations like this.
The Metropolitan Council’s Transportation Committee first proposed the transit fare increase in mid-June.
The proposed raises would increase standard-route bus fares by 25 cents on Oct. 1 and by an additional 50 cents sometime in 2009. They would also increase the fare for disabled people by 50 cents, and would increase Metro Mobility fares to $3.00 during non-rush hours and $4.00 during rush hours.
Current fares for Metro Transit
The council also plans on extending the morning rush-hour period by a half-hour. It would begin at 5:30 a.m. instead of 6 a.m.
Metro Transit stands to lose $15 million in 2009, mostly because of increased fuel costs. Dornfeld said raising transit fares would cover almost half the loss.
“We raised fares in 2005, and since then, fuel costs have more than doubled,” Dornfeld said. “It’s important to understand that labor and fuel make up 85 percent of our operating budget.”
Tanika Johnson, a Minneapolis resident, has taken the bus for around seven years.
“I use it to get to everywhere I gotta go. It’s my car,” Johnson said. “I take it to school, to work, to see friends.”
Johnson said she thought Metro Transit needed to add more routes or buses per route in order to justify any fare increase.
“I think it’s preposterous,” she said.
Both Dornfeld and Eukel were unsure whether or not the public hearings might deter the fare increases.
Eukel said the more people involved in the meetings, the better. “At least the transit riders are being heard in the decision making process,” she said.
Dornfeld was less optimistic “We don’t have a lot of options,” he said.
Patrick Anderson lives and writes in the Twin Cities.
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Comments
Correction
At the beginning of the article, you state the Met Council plans to raise bus fares “2 cents.” However, the proposal seeks to raise bus fares 25 cents.
Corrected
The error has been corrected. Thanks for catching that!
Transit Fares
Minor typo…the fare increase proposed for this year would be 25 cents.
In any case, this shortfall absolutely must be addressed, but there are alternatives to raising fares…especially when those increased fares aren’t bringing any new service. The funding shortfall is a structural problem—right now, the sales tax on cars is the primary funding source for our bus system. Since car sales are down, funding for buses is also going down. With more people looking for alternatives to driving, we need to think about growing our bus system, which will require a more balanced funding stream. Bottom line: we need a bigger transit system, not bigger fares…and it’s really important for transit rider to show up to these hearings. The Metropolitan Council needs to hear from transit riders, since they will be most heavily impacted by fare increases.
For more information about alternatives to fare increases, check out: http://www.tlcminnesota.org/Resources/Newsletters/jun08/farealternatives...
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