Transit

SmarTrip prices? Fare principles? Bomb jammers?

by David Alpert and Michael Perkins   •   November 1, 2010 10:37 am

While the projected $90 million budget gap will likely generate the most debate at Thursday's WMATA Board meeting, the finance committee will also consider the ongoing discussion of dropping SmarTrip prices, adopting general fare principles, buying bomb jamming equipment and more.

Photo by Mr. T in DC on Flickr.

WMATA's finance staff have done even more analysis of three of the SmarTrip options: keeping cards at $5, selling all new cards with some stored value so nobody can buy a card for less than $5, and dropping the price to $4 but recoding faregates to require $1.10 to enter.

The minimum entry is necessary to avoid the potential for gaming the system. It'll cost money Metro doesn't necessarily need to spend now, though as fares rise in the long run and SmarTrip prices decline, it will ultimately be necessary to add a minimum entry requirement.

The presentation also points out that as WMATA switched from SmarTrips to a more modern "commodity card" which will be much cheaper, it will become easier to drop the price of the cards. Based on this, just keeping SmarTrip prices the way they are until new cards come in seems increasingly persuasive. More commenters supported this option than any other in our previous discussions.

At Thursday's Board meeting, the finance staff will also present number of draft "fare policy principles," high-level guiding theories to guide any decisions around fares. The Board often makes its fare decisions based on immediate circumstances, but hasn't stepped back to think about the broader goals that could shape those decisions.

The proposed principles are:

1. Develop fares so they are easily understandable
   
2. Charge fares relative to level of service (people who get more service, like longer distance riders, or faster service, like rail over bus, should pay more)
   
3. Optimize use of existing system capacity (the fare structure should encourage more riding at times or in places where the system already has room)
   
4. Maintain adequate cost recovery while maximizing ridership
   
5. Facilitate movement between modes and operators throughout the region
   
6. Encourage use of cost-effective and efficient fare media (like SmarTrip or contactless credit cards)
   
7. Ensure fares comply with federal regulations (particularly civil rights laws around low-income riders and riders with disabilities)

According to the presentation, riders in focus groups thought the existing fare charts are hard to understand and that distance fares are too complex. They do not like peak-of-the-peak fares, but like daily or weekly passes.

The customer focus groups wanted a simpler time and distance based system with open payments and additional SmarTrip features. Some of the most popular features are likely automatic reloading, and being able to load additional fare from the Internet, both of which WMATA is working on.

These principles do give some guidance, though they are also general enough that many different policies could fit into them. For example, monthly passes like those Michael has recommended would satisfy all of the principles. Peak-of-the-peak, on the other hand, does a lot to meet #3 and #4 but isn't so good on #1. The presentation says that the current passes and peak-of-the-peak will be evaluated against these fare principles.

Metro is also considering approving a $351,000 grant to provide remote detonated bomb jamming equipment. The capability will allow Metro to deploy a vehicle-mounted jammer and portable jammer to reduce the likelihood that a detected bomb could be detonated remotely. After the initial three-year grant expires, Metro will have to apply for continued maintenance grants.

David Alpert is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Greater Greater Washington. He has had a lifelong interest in great cities and great communities. He worked as a Product Manager for Google for six years and has lived in the Boston, San Francisco, and New York metro areas in addition to Washington, DC. He loves the area which is, in many ways, greater than those others, and wants to see it become even greater.

Michael Perkins blogs here and at Infosnack about Metro operations and fares, performance parking, and any other government and economics information he finds on the Web. He lives with his wife and two children in Arlington, Virginia.