Ride Free Area is being eliminated(Downtown Seattle) (to buy, buses)

[tickyul]

Well, I was a Bus Driver for Metro for almost 11 years. I cannot tell you how many problems the RFA brought onto the bus. I guess they are phasing it out:

$20 CRC to Pass; Ride Free Area to be Eliminated - Seattle Transit Blog



The biggest change is the elimination of the Seattle’s Ride Free Area, slated for October 2012. As we’ve written before, this change may be good for the system but there must be mitigation to ensure that buses can still move through downtown

[Botev1912]

There is an easy solution. They should hire another person to collect the money from the passengers, so the driver doesn't have to wait at the bus stops

[Hemlock140]

The reason is budget, it won't help to hire a second person. Metro gave the city a real deal and they just can't afford it any more, and the city has no money to subsidize it further. On the test last week where people had to enter the front and exit the rear the tunnel was totally backed up. The real problem is people that pay cash, if everyone used the Orca card it probably wouldn't make much difference. Funny how they waited until after the bus
ridership increased due to the bridge toll to do this.

[eskercurve]

What they should do is force people to buy tickets. They do that in Japan. You enter the front, take a ticket, and give the driver a ticket when you get off and pay a fare that is related to the distance gone. Pretty efficient, and pay as you go, not some ridiculous flat rate where I, going a mile and a half, pay the same as some bozo from Northgate.

[sean98125]

Eliminating the ride free area is going to help increase fare box revenue by making sure that everyone pays before the bus even leaves the stop. Metro is thinking that they will save millions of dollar a year. They are doing it now because the city is no longer able to fund the ride free area because of budget problems, and Metro isn't going to self-subsidize it.

I think it's a great thing. It will make commutes a lot more comfortable for paying customers.

[Anders15]

yeah this is old. I remember reading about it during the occupy movements and people were trying to make the connection.

[mrman78]

I think this is a good thing. I know that on some of my visits, especially during the summer, the buses were so crowded downtown.

[Ira500]

As a former Metro employee, I can attest to the fact that the transit union has been trying to eliminate the ride free zone for years. A number of assaults against bus drivers and passengers had to do with n'eer do wells getting on the bus in the ride free area.

[tickyul]

Originally Posted by Ira500

As a former Metro employee, I can attest to the fact that the transit union has been trying to eliminate the ride free zone for years. A number of assaults against bus drivers and passengers had to do with n'eer do wells getting on the bus in the ride free area.

Yep, you are right on.

I drove for Metro for about 11 years. Man, the amount of problems that came from the RFA.

I have rode a lot of public transit......do not remember any other with a RFA.......people will get used to it.

[Ira500]

Back in the day before the ride free zone, there were routes that just shuttled people back and forth downtown, and they charged less than the regular fare. If the tourists could be channeled into a vehicle like that( the fifty cent shuttle?) maybe it could help a little, because regular commuters know what the fare is and have it ready. I worked on the waterfront streetcar, and on a busy day with lots of tourists, it would take us all of 25 minutes to go a mile and a half. If they'd supplied me with a whip, we probably could have stayed on schedule.