Metrolink board delays decision on fare hike after thousands protest

Faced with strong opposition from riders and questions about agency finances, the board of Southern California’s commuter rail agency today postponed a decision on a proposed 6% fare increase just three months after the last rate hike.

After receiving protests from thousands of riders, Metrolink board members opted to review a range of possible alternatives to the ticket price increase, including cuts to lightly used service, at a meeting next month.

“You want to charge us more to ride your trains,” law firm employee Charlie McDaniel, who commutes from Riverside to Los Angeles, told the board. “Many of the riders barely have the money to pay their rent.” McDaniel presented petitions she said contained signatures of 2,500 riders opposed to the fare hike. Officials previously said they received more than 1,300 comments opposing the rate hikes.

Others said the proposed increase, on top of a 3% increase implemented in August, was coming at the worst possible time, amid a record recession.

Rita Yussoupovao said she already spends more than $400 per month commuting from Irvine to Sylmar on Metrolink. “It’s really, really hard for me financially,” she said. “Somehow give us an option so we can continue riding.”

Ridership and ticket revenue on the five-county rail system have tumbled about 15% from last year largely due to job losses across the region and lower gasoline prices that have encouraged more people to drive. Ridership is now below levels of four years ago, officials said. Ticket revenue is forecast to be $7.7 million below what had been planned for in the current year's budget.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe and other board members criticized the agency’s budgeting process and contracting procedures, saying more has to be done to stabilize finances and get better deals from vendors.

“We need to get our arms around this,” he said. “We just can’t continue to do this to our ridership every few months.”

-- Rich Connell

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Comments

[Manny]

Yeah Metrolink wants to increase ridership fare, yet their service continues to suffer drastically. Incredible. How about being on time on a constant basis.

[Riverside liner]

the story failed to mention the mediocre service Metrolink provides: limited options, crowded cars, indifference to punctuality, lack of shelter at the stations, placing passengers on open platforms just feet from passing freight trains, and occasionally forcing riders to endure person and bag searches for "security." Sometimes I really wonder if freeway gridlock is worse.

[Riverside liner]

And I forgot to mention that the station ticket machines are frequently on the fritz.

[kellyp]

There is so much they can do to offset the loss in ticket revenue. How about advertising on the trains, or at the stations? How about adding wifi to cars? Reducing the frequency but increase the amount of cars per train? ask for stimulus money? stop paying for la county sheriff deputys to check tickets? lock out the unions and hire scabs? 3% isn't that much but the longer they wait the greater the deficit.

[jimbob]

I used to ride the train from Glendale to Irvine. With 2 rate hikes within months of each other, I'd rather drive during off hours. It's much better,time wise as well as total expense wise, with the benefit of additional freedom of schedule. Bye-bye Metrolink.

[P J Evans]

Riverside and San Bernardino line riders should know that they're travelling on tracks that Metrolink doesn't own and doesn't control; service is better on other lines.

I wish that Metrolink's managment actually used its own services more often; then they might have a better idea of what the proposed increases would do, including the one of separate tickets for using the MTA's system (which a lot of people do, for about three stops).

[jimbobelectronics]

kellyp, I remember asking the train conductor once. Are there any plans to add wifi to any of the trains or stations? He looked at me and asked, What? What's wifi? I said, nevermind...

But that's a great idea to run more adds in the train or at the stations. Google is giving free wifi to BUR and SJC airports, why not at some stations? I don't mind the deputies as much, you can never be too safe.

[Ed C.]

How about cutting service on really low-ridership lines and put the savings toward adding frequency on evenings, especially through Burbank-Glendale to LA/OC? There really needs to be more service within the 6-9 PM timeblock as some still have to wrap up overtime.

At least my work picks up the tab for the monthly pass. Not everyone is as lucky as me though.

[Jared]

"Ridership and ticket revenue on the five-county rail system have tumbled about 15% from last year largely due to job losses across the region and lower gasoline prices that have encouraged more people to drive."

Maybe the Chatsworth accident had something to do with the decrease in ridership? Or just blame the economy - everyone is a victim of the economy, it couldn't be due to poor oversight and safety concerns?

[Shah]

Metrolink needs to stop giving out christmas bonuses to their excutives, and use that money for maintenance on the trians...

[San Bernardino Rider]

Ridership is down??? Not on my line, people almost go into "line rage" as they jockey for position before boarding the train. They do this so they don't end up sitting across from somebody bumping knees (leg room is an issue) or worse yet - having to stand for 45+ minutes until you get to Union Station.

Advertising, maybe somebody's cheaper than the sheriff's for checking tickets, whatever works... I for one would like to see more cars added...

I think the bottom line is this - it MAY be partly from the economy, it MAY be partly from lower gas prices, it MAY be partly from previous accidents, or whatever else, BUT IT IS "the board of Southern California’s commuter rail agency['s]" DUTY TO SOLVE IT, and not by simply further gouging its ridership. This whole mess, this whole break down begins at the top.

[Andrew]

A while ago I was trying to decide whether to take the train from Ventura county to Glendale. I found that the tickets were only good between stops, the commute time is longer and when I looked at how much it would cost to just drive, it was cheaper to drive. I dont understand how these people can push public transportation when it is almost as expensive or more expensive to drive. Makes no sense.

According to this article the woman is paying $400 a month to go from Irvine to Sylmar. So...

Car:
72 miles * 2 = 144 miles / 30 mpg = 4.8 Gallons used * $3.00 per gallon = $14.40 round trip.

Train:
$400 per month train fair used five days a week = 22 days a month (approx). $400 / 22 days = $18.18 per day round trip.

$14.40 for the car, $18.18 for the train?

Ok maybe factor insurance? $100 per month / 30 days = 4.54 extra.

$18.94 car, $18.18 train? Still doesnt make sense considering the train cant take me to the grocery store or anywhere other than sylmar. Bottom line you want me to take public transportation. Give me a reason.

[elf]

Andrew,

You're being a bit short-sighted in your math here. The alternative involves driving 144 miles per day, 720 per week, and at 50 weeks of work per year, 36,000 miles per year. The cost of car maintenance can not be discounted, not to mention the cost of replacing the car itself far sooner than needed if the rider took the train instead. You're also assuming 30mpg, which only the most efficient compact cars and hybrids will achieve in rush hour traffic. Also consider how much fun the daily drive from Irvine to Sylmar would be.

Given that same situation I'd happily sit down on the train, leave the driving to them and arrive relaxed without having fought traffic for a minimum of an hour and a half.

[San Bernardino Rider]

We need wi-fi on the Metrolink. It would draw more commuters who can perform many work functions while commuting. Please put wi-fi on the trains.

[bluedog23]

It sounds like Metrolink does not have a scalable business model. The board needs to look at eliminating some executive positions.