Metrolink board to vote on proposed fare hike, the second in 3 months

The Metrolink governing board is expected this morning to decide whether to raise fares by up to 6% on top of a 3%  increase instituted three months ago.

Citing a sharp drop in ridership from the economic slump and moderating gas prices, the agency's staff has called for another fare hike beginning in January to close a several-million-dollar gap in the current year’s budget. Fare revenue is down 15% from last year and the five counties that help fund the service have signaled they can’t make up the difference.

The public has sounded off against the fare hike in hundreds of comments to the agency; more than 200 of those threatened to switch to carpooling or other transit alternatives, records show.

-- Rich Connell

Comments

[Hairy Carrion]

So how is a fare hike going to help during an economic slump? How will this increase incentive to ride Metrolink? And are they really being affected by the economy or is it safety issues that have caused the slump? Perhaps they should be asking the hard questions.

[Louweegie272]

We just voted in a .25% sales tax increase that is going to raise $40 billion dollars for the MTA. What happened to that money?

[PB]

Hiking fares when riders can't afford the existing fares is going to reduce ridership further. Even the most basic economic principles of supply and demand show that raising prices of a commodity reduces demand, and Metrolink should be sensitive to that fact. Reducing capacity and controlling costs is the only answer.

[supermike]

"And we will keep raising rates till people start riding metrolink again!"

[TheBigPicture]

The rates should be raised enough to support the system...It should not be subsidized...