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thirsteefish t1_iu4cnid wrote

Reply to comment by colglover in Metro Exploring Short-Term Fare Hikes And Long-Term Fare Overhauls by Maxcactus

The fact of sprawl is reflected in the recognition that Metro is a combo of commuter rail and rapid transit subway. As a combo, fares should reflect that.

Many cities have their most recent iteration airport well outside the city center (most notably Tokyo) and it costs more to get to than other closer-in destinations. Even Chicago which has a flat rate system charges extra to get to ORD (vs MDW).

More to your point about sprawl, on one hand I agree that we don't want people priced out of the city center to be penalized (and discouraged from transit) with nosebleed high prices, but there should be a balance of fairness. For every working class household pushed out, there's probably a more well off one that either wants a fancy new apartment that's cheaper in the exurbs than Navy Yard (vs an older unit in Columbia Heights) or a sprawling McMansion that's cheaper in Ashburn-upon-Dulles than Spring Valley (vs an attached home in Chevy Chase).

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colglover t1_iu4isjd wrote

Those people you talk about that “want a McMansion in the exurbs” aren’t using metro to get into the city. Unless you propose a taxation solution that captures drivers, you aren’t going to catch their revenue whether the fare is $3 or $50

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thirsteefish t1_iu6vya8 wrote

If I were king there'd be a $10/day additional tax on parking for more than 4 hours within 1/4mi (or perhaps 1/2mi) within a metro station in the urban core. Parking is way too cheap downtown vs other cities.

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