Raise taxes on the rich and on gasoline to support RIPTA if we are going to have a fair increase. Zone based pricing will reduce ridership. Not a good idea.
Greg is on top of things as usual. Tax on gas specifically to fund transportation, yes. Fare increases--yes, they are a good idea. I spoke at the Prov. Fdn. meeting and said that I heard the fear that fare increases will decrease ridership. I really don't think that people who need to get to work, to school, to medical appointments would rather pay an Uber $25+ than an extra dollar or so on bus lines. What causes decreased ridership is inconvenient and infrequent bus service that doesn't run to schedule. I really want to be able to take the #1 bus, but 20 minutes intervals run not to schedule aren't a help. 32-minute intervals probably means no thanks.
I think all the speakers had important individual concerns, but I think we also need to speak out loudly on good service ON ALL LINES TO ALL OF RI! If the "lowest-performing routes" are "restructured" so they are even less convenient, they will be even lower-performing.
sort of good new for now, putting off severe cuts and opening the door for further assistance. Perhaps the Governor heard the protests!
I would prefer the buses were free (as in Worcester, Lawrence and other regional MA transit systems in MA thanks to millionaires tax) but if we are to have fares it is reasonable that the expensive-to run park and ride expresses have a premium fare as in most systems. It may be good politics with the establishment to increase express fares, but it wouldn't raise much revenue. More troubling is any increase in the $2 basic fare in the metro area, paid mainly by low income working people already under stress. Going over an even $ amount can have a higher dropoff of paying passengers, I was on the Board in 1995 wen the fare went from $1 to $1.25 and for a while we lost about 24% of paying passengers. So I suspect raising the $2 fare will not produce much revenue either.
Raise taxes on the rich and on gasoline to support RIPTA if we are going to have a fair increase. Zone based pricing will reduce ridership. Not a good idea.
Greg is on top of things as usual. Tax on gas specifically to fund transportation, yes. Fare increases--yes, they are a good idea. I spoke at the Prov. Fdn. meeting and said that I heard the fear that fare increases will decrease ridership. I really don't think that people who need to get to work, to school, to medical appointments would rather pay an Uber $25+ than an extra dollar or so on bus lines. What causes decreased ridership is inconvenient and infrequent bus service that doesn't run to schedule. I really want to be able to take the #1 bus, but 20 minutes intervals run not to schedule aren't a help. 32-minute intervals probably means no thanks.
I think all the speakers had important individual concerns, but I think we also need to speak out loudly on good service ON ALL LINES TO ALL OF RI! If the "lowest-performing routes" are "restructured" so they are even less convenient, they will be even lower-performing.
sort of good new for now, putting off severe cuts and opening the door for further assistance. Perhaps the Governor heard the protests!
I would prefer the buses were free (as in Worcester, Lawrence and other regional MA transit systems in MA thanks to millionaires tax) but if we are to have fares it is reasonable that the expensive-to run park and ride expresses have a premium fare as in most systems. It may be good politics with the establishment to increase express fares, but it wouldn't raise much revenue. More troubling is any increase in the $2 basic fare in the metro area, paid mainly by low income working people already under stress. Going over an even $ amount can have a higher dropoff of paying passengers, I was on the Board in 1995 wen the fare went from $1 to $1.25 and for a while we lost about 24% of paying passengers. So I suspect raising the $2 fare will not produce much revenue either.