MARTA considers 50-Cent Fare Hike (apartment, purchase, sales tax)

[wrcousert]

Originally Posted by muxBuppie

New Yorker pay $102 for a monthly pass to one of the best systems in the world. Why do we have to pay $4 less premium then that for Marta's monthly pass?

New York has higher taxes and more people to support the system.

They're also losing money and will most likely raise fares again.

[muxBuppie]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Exactly.

And the reason NYC can be one of the cheapest is simply "supply and demand"... many people in NYC do not own cars, so use transit. The sheer numbers of riders support a cheap fare. Atlanta is more like a mini-L.A. than NYC - we are a sprawled "car city" and do not have the rider numbers to support the cheap flat-fare system they have been using for so many years.

Another (and I'm sure not popular) opinion: Cities change. Anyone who has lived in Atlanta for 25+ years (as have I) has seen the city, demographics, and everything else about it go through some radical changes. At one time people (maybe even MARTA planners) may have seen MARTA simply as a way for lower income people who could not even afford cars to move around the area. Today, MARTA's main goal should be to get cars off of the metro roads and reduce traffic congestion and smog. The city has changed - so should the goal/purpose of transit.

This is why MARTA needs to adopt the zone fare system where you pay per distance, charge for parking (or more for parking), charge for transfers, etc. Those who do meet certain real qualifications of "low income" could still be eligible for reduced fare cards, but those who can easily afford to pay for zone fares - should. Cobb/Gwinnett do not contribute to the 1% tax for MARTA, so a zone fare system would allow certain $$ to be recouped as they travel the longest distance. And they would continue to pay. Even $5.00 one way or even $10 one way to the airport is FAR cheaper than gas, driving time/maintenance, parking fees, etc.

I don't think nickel and dimming the hell out of the people using Marta is a good way to promote mass transit. Gas needs to be a bit higher before that can happen.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by muxBuppie

I don't think nickel and dimming the hell out of the people using Marta is a good way to promote mass transit.

Nickel and diming? How about people who use MARTA simply pay their "fair share" (a phrase so often abused) of the cost to operate the service?

[AnsleyPark]

Absolutely. How can it be nickle and diming if the rider is subsidized by the tax paying public of Fulton and Dekalb Counties? I ride Marta very infrequently (another topic...), so should I be upset that my 1 cent sales tax goes to pay for others??? Of course not. So, while no one ever wants to more for something, if you want to use the service, you've got to pay the price. Really, it's not a "right" to ride Marta.

[RandyWatson13]

I fear if you start charging for parking, people will just say "well I'll just drive where I want to go" and stop riding MARTA.

MARTA cannot rely on the poor and discount fares. They need to expand to those that can afford the fares and convince them MARTA is safe, reliable and a great alternative mode of transportation. They cannot continue to rely on their current ridership.

They are going to have to take some huge risks to expand and attract new riders. Atlanta has 2 million more people moving here by 2040 and MARTA needs to appeal to those people since so many here are simply opposed to it.

The suburban counties need to see MARTA as a benefit and not a negative.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by RandyWatson13

I fear if you start charging for parking, people will just say "well I'll just drive where I want to go" and stop riding MARTA.

MARTA cannot rely on the poor and discount fares. They need to expand to those that can afford the fares and convince them MARTA is safe, reliable and a great alternative mode of transportation. They cannot continue to rely on their current ridership.

They are going to have to take some huge risks to expand and attract new riders. Atlanta has 2 million more people moving here by 2040 and MARTA needs to appeal to those people since so many here are simply opposed to it.

The suburban counties need to see MARTA as a benefit and not a negative.

Couldn't agree with you more. Let's just hope the voters have the chance to, and indeed do, approve new taxes to support Marta expansion.

[society619]

I didn't have a problem for the 2.50 raise on basic fare but $96 for a monthly pass?????

Are you on crack??

I think $70 is reasonable. When is MARTA going to realize that bleeding their customers isn't going to solve their money issues?

[Febtober]

Don't forget that here in New York City, the MTA also owns and operates the bridges and tunnels (except the Port Authority state crossings), so they still make money off you whether you take the subway or drive. Most of their bridge crossings nowadays are $6.50 each way (a little less with ez-pass.)

You should have seen the public outcry up here last year when the MTA went from $2.00 to $2.25 (I think those were the figures) for a single subway ride. If you read the NY Post you would have thought that Bloomberg was personally walking into people's apartments and taking money out of their child's piggy banks. Of course if you read the NY Post you likely also need help putting your shoes on the proper feet in the morning and enjoy headlines where the letter S has cleverly been replaced with $...

[RandyWatson13]

Originally Posted by Febtober

Don't forget that here in New York City, the MTA also owns and operates the bridges and tunnels (except the Port Authority state crossings), so they still make money off you whether you take the subway or drive. Most of their bridge crossings nowadays are $6.50 each way (a little less with ez-pass.)

You should have seen the public outcry up here last year when the MTA went from $2.00 to $2.25 (I think those were the figures) for a single subway ride. If you read the NY Post you would have thought that Bloomberg was personally walking into people's apartments and taking money out of their child's piggy banks. Of course if you read the NY Post you likely also need help putting your shoes on the proper feet in the morning and enjoy headlines where the letter S has cleverly been replaced with $...

Thats b/c people in NYC are more likely to fight and people here are more likely to take it in the butt lying down.

[muxBuppie]

Originally Posted by wrcousert

It's still a lot cheaper than driving.

I would be if I didn't have to drive to live in Atlanta.