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Agree on the fare thing, it should probably be $2 by now as it is in lots of places. However, they've gotten rid of the Anacostia discount (kk summarizes the reasons for it pretty well), and paper transfers are gone. That has helped them get more money AND speeds bus loading because now nearly everyone has SmarTrip. I noticed a huge change in how people paid when they got rid of paper transfers. Honestly I think problems with fareboxes (and drivers wanting to board buses faster by just waiving people on) is a bigger problem than people entering through the back door.

2) pensions, benefits: WMATA needs major reform on pensions, no desire to tackle that one, and if you contract it out you can get out of that mess.
Employees need to pay more into their pensions and more thought needs to go into the calculations for pensions. But I'm not sure we should just screw public employees over because everyone in the private sector gave up on getting screwed. There are laws that prevent the transit agency from just contracting everything out as a way of sidestepping the union.

3) ADA: having disabily requirements is strangling WMATA, and realted to bus service.

How so related to buses? It's cheaper to serve these people on regular bus service than with paratransit (though I don't think paratransit should be a transit agency responsibility). Low floor buses make wheelchair boarding much faster than it used to be.

Agree that route structure should be considered - I'd love to see someone do an exercise where they see how much bus service is out there and see how you could re-organize it starting with a blank slate.

@kk
New vehicles are a big deal. The low floor buses are much more comfortable and easier for passengers, and hybrid buses help agencies save on fuel costs.

by MLD on Jun 28, 2012 11:53 am • link • report