Metro approves the rate hikes

Oooh, this is bad news for Metro riders, because the breaking news out of the District is that the Metro board has approved the hike in fares across the boards.

Under the plan adopted by the finance committee the largest increases would affect rush-hour suburban riders who make up the biggest group of daily users. The rush-hour boarding charge would 30 cents to $1.65 per trip, a 22 percent hike. The plan would raise the maximum fare per trip by 60 cents to $4.50. There would be no increases for off-peak riders or for MetroAccess.

At parking lots where the daily fee is as high as $4, the plan calls for a 75-cent hike for six months with an option to increase parking fees by 25 cents after that. Reserve parking would also increase by $10 to $55. That fee is in addition to the daily parking charge. Reflecting sentiment from passengers who park and ride, there would be no increase in the number of reserved parking spaces.

I drive to work these days, mostly because I've had some frustrating experiences with Metro over the summer, and I'm very eager to see what kind of backlash this rate hike will engender—i.e., will it cause many Metro riders to abandon the system? It's really a lose-lose situation for someone who rides the rails, because so many people in the DC area rely on the local subway system to get to work (I sure wouldn't want to drive into the District each morning). But will that reliance finally buckle under the weight of so many riders' compounded frustrations? We'll just have to see.