Dozens of Metro riders voiced frustration Wednesday night at the transit agency’s plan to close an emergency $40 million budget gap by tapping into maintenance dollars, cutting service and, or hiking fares by up to a dime.
A recurring complaint of speakers; Metro had provided too limited a range of options for riders to choose among. D.C. resident Rodney Green compared the situation to action movies in which the characters are asked whether they’d prefer to have their arm cut off or their eyes put out. “It’s always a difficult decision,” he said.
While no clear consensus emerged on what speakers thought Metro should do, only a small minority specifically opposed a fare increase. Many more said they reluctantly backed raising fares rather than cutting service. Some even backed higher fares than those sought by Metro if it would improve service.
Still, some riders said they opposed any fare hikes, saying squeezed riders would be unable to afford higher costs.
Others said that service has already been suffering after last year’s cuts, and couldn’t bear further declines. They cited constant delays, accidents and maintenance problems. “Please do not make any more cuts to Prince George’s County, our residents cannot handle it,” said Prince George’s Councilmember Andrea Harrison. “We can’t take any more.”
The deaths of two track workers on Tuesday hung over the proceedings, especially as the agency was proposing tapping into preventive maintenance money.
One Prince George’s County woman pointed to a sign saying. “The Best Ride in the Nation” on the wall of the board room. “I am now embarrassed to see that sign on the wall,” said Catherine Taggart-Ross, who lives in Prince George’s County. “So what have you been doing? What are you going to do … Stop killing people.”
At least two speakers recommended ending free rides for Metro employees, giving them a discount instead. (Retirees, some of their spouses, and both current and former board members receive free rides.) Others suggested giving riders incentives to take the system during off-hours.
The reason for the emergency hearing was that ridership has dropped below what the agency anticipated when it passed its $1.4 billion budget in June, bringing in less fare revenue. The agency now has a $40 million hole to fill.
Metro is already covering about $24 million of the gap by laying off workers, using $10 million in stimulus funds, cutting back customer service center hours and tapping a rainy day reserve fund, among other measures. But some $16 million of the hole remains. The board is slated to vote on the emergency measure to close the budget gap on Thursday, and it could take effect in March.
