Metro board members are still debating what form of a fare increase to enact this summer to help close an $189 million gap in the pending budget — but riders are likely to pay higher fares in some form.
A Metro board committee gave preliminary approval Thursday to a fare increase framework, sending it to the full board for its May 27 meeting. But many of the components remain under contention, including parking fee increases, peak of the peak fare charges and late-night weekend service cuts.
The current proposal calls for raising rail fares from the current minimum of $1.65 during peak hours to $1.95 and as much as $5 for the longest trips. Bus fares could rise from $1.25 to $1.50 for SmarTrip farecard users.
Metro also is looking at charging riders an additional 10 to 50 cents extra if they take trains from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and 4:30 to 6 p.m., during what is called the “peak of the peak” travel times, to encourage riders to spread out their trips. Such new charges would not begin until August.
Agency staff members had been pushing the board to give them guidance about fares Thursday so they have enough time to prepare signs, update fareboxes and market the changes in time for a June 27 changeover. Staff had asked for 60 days’ lead time.
But many issues are not resolved about proposed service cuts or subsidy levels for closing the gap.
“Nothing can really be decided until everything is decided,” board member Mortimer Downey said.
So behind-the-scenes horse trading is likely before the full board meeting, as jurisdictions swap concessions for their favorite hobby horses.
Meanwhile, the agency also presented a revised capital budget that calls for $5 billion for maintaining and improving the system over the next six years, an increase from the $4.57 billion last proposed. The increase came after lengthy negotiations that prompted Maryland not to defer some money if the agency changes how it administers the long-term projects budget. The agency is planning to hold a public hearing June 2 about the capital budget proposal.
