Metro News Release

For immediate release: May 12, 2003

Metro’s Board Budget Committee announces recommendations on fare structure change for fiscal year 2004 budget


FY 2004 budget recommendation calls for a change in Metro fare structure, opening Metrorail system at 7 a.m. on weekends and closing Metrorail system at 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights

Today, as part of the Fiscal Year 2004 budget, Metro’s Board Budget Committee approved a recommendation for a change in Metro’s fare structure and expanding the hours of Metrorail service. (The Fiscal Year 2004 budget starts July 1, 2003, and concludes June 30, 2004.) Today’s recommendation will be submitted to the local jurisdictions for review, prior to the Board’s final approval, which is expected in June 2003.

For the first time in eight years, the fiscal year budget will call for a change in Metro’s fare structure. Today’s fare proposal calls for the following actions:

Metrorail

  • Increasing the peak period boarding charge of $1.10 by $0.10 to $1.20
  • Increasing the maximum peak period fare of $3.25 by $0.35 to $3.60
  • Increasing the off-peak fares of $1.10, $1.60, and $2.10 by $0.10 to $1.20, $1.70 and $2.20

Metrobus

  • Increasing the boarding charge of $1.10 by $0.10 to $1.20
  • Instituting a balanced transfer discount of $0.40 each way between Metrobus and Metrorail through the use of the SmarTrip card.
  • Eliminate the $0.85 rail-to-bus paper transfer.
  • Retain free bus-to-bus transfers.

MetroAccess

  • Maintain current Metroaccess policies and increase fares by $0.20 from $2.20 to $2.40.

Parking

  • Increasing the daily parking rates of $2.25 by $0.75 to $3.00
  • Increasing the monthly parking rate of $45 by $20.00 to $65.00
  • Increasing the reserved monthly rate of $65 by $30 to $95

The Budget Committee also voted to retain the elderly and handicapped fares on Metrobus and Metrorail at one-half the peak period fare all day, with a maximum fare on Metrorail not to exceed one-half the maximum fare; eliminate the high-value 10 percent bonus on Metrorail; and to retain the Metrobus and Metrorail one-day pass and one-week pass.

In addition to the fare structure change, the FY 2004 budget also calls for:

  • Extending late night Metrorail weekend service by one additional hour from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. (Late closing will be funded separately by the District of Columbia as an 18 month demonstration project.)
  • Opening the Metrorail system one hour earlier to 7 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
  • Provide $6 million for escalator and elevator enhancements under the Infrastructure Renewal Program as part of a series of recommendations under the Blue Ribbon Panel report for Metro’s Vertical Transportation Units.

Last December, Metro’s General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Richard A. White announced that the region’s transit system was facing a $48 million budget shortfall for Fiscal Year 2004. To balance the budget, Mr. White announced plans to reduce expenses by $24 million primarily by streamlining white collar management, and increasing passenger revenues by $24 million. At the same time, he proposed increasing police and safety capabilities.

After today’s proposed fare recommendation, Mr. White said, "While making a decision to raise fares is never easy, I am proud to say that today’s recommendation, truly reflects the input we received from our riders and the general public."

In February and March, Metro had undertaken an unprecedented outreach effort seeking input from the public on its financial plan, holding a series of nine regional public hearings, as well as receiving e-mails and letters directly on a menu of fare options put forth for public consideration in January.

Most of the testimony received opposed increases in Metrorail and Metrobus fares, although many speakers understood the need to increase revenue and supported a modest fare increase.

Thirty-eight percent of speakers who testified on Metrorail peak period fares supported a moderate fare increase and about 25 percent of them argued for more frequent, smaller fare increases, tying the increase to the Consumer Price Index. Forty-one percent who spoke on off-peak fares also supported a moderate fare increase in the off-peak. Some individuals indicated that Metro should use multi-year budgets to project future needs and increase fares at lower rates to meet budget needs and keep pace with inflation. (Information from the Staff Report on Results of Public Hearings on Fare Increases, March 27, 2003.)

"As I said at the outset, no one at Metro enjoys making difficult decisions that
will have a financial impact on our customers. But it is worthy to note that we have been making very difficult internal decisions over the past eight years to hold the line on fares," said Mr. White.

"The reality is that we have just experienced the longest period in Metro history without a fare increase " eight straight years. That didn" t happen by accident, it happened through tightly managing our operations and through the creative use of new technologies, such as the SmarTrip card," said Mr. White.

"Today’s Board action, calls for a modest increase in Metrorail and Metrobus services, while at the same time, increases weekend Metrorail service and maintains existing policies on paratransit fares and services. While today’s decision was difficult, it will ultimately ensure that the Washington metropolitan region will continue to have the best transit system in the world," he concluded.

Today’s recommendations, are subject to final approval of Metro’s Board of Directors. If approved, these recommendations would take effect in July 2003.

News release issued on May 12, 2003.