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M Perkins,

In my experience, government officials don't give up budget easily. Budget is power and most in the govt don't like giving up power (who does?). Also, any proposal to reduce service levels has been met with very strong protests in the past. Riders have consistently said they prefer fare increases to service cuts and I think the Board gets that.

Overall, metro's biggest problem is rising benefit costs of its unions. The local government have ponied up their share each and every year (albeit only after throwing tantrums). Riders have withstood fare increases each year. The folks who haven't sacrificied are the unions and that's where we need to exert governance pressure. I think making a big deal out of these min service standards is more distracting then focusing on the big issues.

Without additional pressure, the path of least resistance is to simply continue charge riders higher fares because as much as we like to complain aboit metro, it provides a value in significant excess of the fares to most people. So, people will continue to absorb fare increases to subsidize increasing union benefit costs unless greater scrutiny is brought to that issue.

by Falls Church on Jul 11, 2012 6:56 pm • link • report

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