MARTA fare increase goes into effect today (Alpharetta: transfer, maintenance)

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by BackInATL2011

You make it sound like that doesn't happen in the real business world. Look at netflix, they decided to increase their prices. They knew they would lose customers and still did it. Or how about the airline industry steady price increases.

Decatur Metro » MARTA Most Energy-Efficient Heavy Rail System in Country

Whoa. Never knew that. Especially since they run all those 6-car trains at night, which I've long thought should be cut down to four after a certain hour.

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

The question is, why is MARTA increasing fares and prices so dramatically? They raised fares two years ago and made cuts a year ago. Have things collapsed in a span of a year that they have to raise fares an additional 25% and the monthly by 40%?


And how did I mischaracterize the statements? Calls for raising gas prices and sales taxes during a depressed economy doesn't help. And expecting money from the State and Federal government when both are tapped out doesn't seem prudent. I don't believe mass transit is what drives our economy. Business leaders aren't calling for increases in mass transit.

Christ, man, it's an investment. It's the sort of thing government has been doing for decades. News flash: Public services are NOT in it to make a profit. Their purpose is for the common good. That can even mean running at a loss. And so what? I sure hope my local fire and police departments aren't for-profit agencies.

Oh, and as some have pointed out, businesses are clamoring for more transit--a lot more than blind tax cuts.

[AcidSnake]

Great point.

People tend to paper over that small little factor of life. You gotta give it up though, to the Koch Brothers and the Richard Mellon Scaifes of the world who fund these conservative free-market advocacy groups and think-tanks. Very ingenious these folks are.

People use to accept common sense-wise that market-based solutions, while viable in many situations, aren't necessarily best applied in every situation in public life. Now because these free-market advocacy foundations have been able to subtly work their information into the mainstream, it's pretty much gospel in this country that "bid'ness knows best"...

Yikes!

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Christ, man, it's an investment. It's the sort of thing government has been doing for decades. News flash: Public services are NOT in it to make a profit. Their purpose is for the common good. That can even mean running at a loss. And so what? I sure hope my local fire and police departments aren't for-profit agencies.

Oh, and as some have pointed out, businesses are clamoring for more transit--a lot more than blind tax cuts.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by MathmanMathman

The question is, why is MARTA increasing fares and prices so dramatically? They raised fares two years ago and made cuts a year ago. Have things collapsed in a span of a year that they have to raise fares an additional 25% and the monthly by 40%?

Reminds me what the government is doing with our roads. They keep taxing us for them, and now they are applying tolls on top of that.

[DONNIEANDDONNA417]

wonder why you never hear anything about CCT cobb county transit?

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by DONNIEANDDONNA417

wonder why you never hear anything about CCT cobb county transit?

The last I heard was that people were yelling at them about putting bus stops in areas where it is hard to cross the highway. However, that was about two months ago.

[DONNIEANDDONNA417]

yes and their bus stops are a long ways from everything. I remember I had to ride CCT once because my car broke down. I had to take my son to the daycare....it was raining cats and dogs. So when we got on the bus we were soaked. The bus driver had the air on full blast and refuse to turn it down. We reported her to CCT. I couldve choked her silly

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by DONNIEANDDONNA417

yes and their bus stops are a long ways from everything. I remember I had to ride CCT once because my car broke down. I had to take my son to the daycare....it was raining cats and dogs. So when we got on the bus we were soaked. The bus driver had the air on full blast and refuse to turn it down. We reported her to CCT. I couldve choked her silly

Yeah. CCT just doesn't have that many routes.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Yeah. CCT just doesn't have that many routes.

And they've been dropping some. Route 70 across the southern part of Cobb county was dropped just recently due to budget constraints, for example.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

News flash: Public services are NOT in it to make a profit. Their purpose is for the common good. That can even mean running at a loss.

All public transit systems run at an operating loss when you consider fares only. Are there any that don't?

The fact is that costs have risen dramatically for all transit systems in the last few years. Fares have to reflect those increases. You cannot keep fares artificially low, at an increasing rate of subsidy. The ridership must pay it's "fair fare share" (pun intended) and not expect the taxpayers to pay an ever increasing percentage of their transportation costs. Auto and truck operators pay higher costs and so should transit riders.

Originally Posted by toll_booth

And so what? I sure hope my local fire and police departments aren't for-profit agencies.

AGAIN....this is a red herring of the worst type. Fire and police are essential public safety services. They are prime examples of the necessary and intended services that should be provided by gov't. It is relied upon by ALL citizens. Transit is not essential and is not relied upon by all citizens. If you want that optional service, then you should pay a "fair fare" and not rely on others to provide for your needs.

[BackInATL2011]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Transit is not essential and is not relied upon by all citizens. If you want that optional service, then you should pay a "fair fare" and not rely on others to provide for your needs.

Even the residents that don't use transit, benefit from it!!! Imagine all of the estimated 500,000 DAILY would hit the roads instead. Paying their fair share? So do you believe in converting all of the roads and highways to pay only lanes? Because those are subsidized. Do the highways make a profit? I know 400 does but we were not supposed to have that toll anymore. IMO public transit is equal to public roads, highways, sidewalks, etc. Not everyone can drive; the poor, the blind, the disabled, the young, the old, the visitors. They too should have an affordable way to move around the city and should also be funded by the state the way roads and highways are. Everyone knows that the gax tax here in Georgia is a small fraction of the money spent on roads/highways.