MARTA Fare Increase Sounds Inevitable; Variable-Based Fares Projected for 2016
Decatur Metro | May 6, 2011I’m sure many of you have seen the stories floating around the interwebs about a MARTA proposal to raise the $2 one-way fare by 25% to $2.50 sometime in the coming year. But here’s the only really in-depth conversation I’ve yet seen on the topic: an interview between WABE’s Dennis O’Hare and MARTA’s new chairman Jim Durrett.
In it, O’Hare challenges Durrett’s call for higher fares by referencing MARTA’s oft-stated point that it’s one of the most cost-effective systems in the country, Durrett admits that MARTA must transition to variable fares (based on time of day, distance, etc) and plans on doing so by 2016, and also mentions increased costs for para-transit down the road.
On the 2016 date for variable fare, Durrett says
“…all of our partners that have been working on delivering transit in this region agree that we need to evolve to a variable-based fare. Whether it’s the time of day that you’re traveling or how far that you’re traveling. Right now our plans are to implement that kind of a system in the year 2016 or the fiscal year 2016. It takes that long to analyze the system, to determine what the appropriate fares are, to change all of the hardware that we’ve got in place right now, in order for us to have that kind of a fare model. We’re working toward it with our partners and I believe that we will see that in 5 years.”
All of this talk of MARTA fiscal future and I don’t think Durrett once brought up the lack of state funding! A new public tactic?
Interesting stuff. Thanks to Al for forwarding the link!
Latest from Decaturish
He didn’t bring up a lack of state funding because it’s not something he can control, so he’s planning in the absence of it. Which actually makes sense.
Assuming, or demanding state funding, then not getting state funding, is a political shell game. It’s hiding the pickle — the need for funding — and pretending it can come up under one of the shells you’re moving. But as anyone who has played that game knows, it never comes up.
Yeah, but generally when MARTA funding is brought up, its inevitable that someone will spout the line “Only transit system in the country without State funding.” so I was intrigued that we didn’t hear it here. Might be a new tactic to get on the State’s good side is all I’m saying.
I actually wouldn’t object to the fare increase (since it’s probably inevitable anyway) if I thought some of the incremental revenue would be directed at improving station maintenance, police coverage and other “quality of life” issues in the system. I’ve been riding more or less daily for 30 years, and the whole system really feels more like a third world country every day. There’s urine on the platforms, half the light bulbs are burned out, escalators have been out for months and there’s no effort at all to enforce the rules against food, loud music, etc. on the trains. The trains actually run more or less on schedule, but the overall atmosphere is enough to make me seriously consider driving downtown every day. (Yuck!)
I wonder whether the upcoming fare increase process might provide some leverage to get these sorts of issues addressed.
` “the whole system really feels more like a third world country every day”
With well over 4 thousand employees, just think what an internal “work day” (clean-up event) could do.
I don’t understand how the equipment overhaul from a few years ago did not include the ability to handle variable pricing. And it shouldn’t take 6 years to analyze that data. I cannot imagine that MARTA ridership patterns vary that much year to year. It seems to me that you would need one year (maybe 2 years) of data. Other transit systems have been doing this sort of thing for YEARS!!! See Hong Kong’s MTR– see Wiki entry below
As someone who has traveled to HK, this system works great. You pay more to get to the airport which is a no-brainer. You offer tourist cards which you create a flat amount but expire in a few days from purchase. The idea for the rest of us is to create fare zones so that when you are traveling one or two stops in either direction you are not tempted to drive but instead take transit. No way am I taking MARTA from Arts Center to Buckhead at a cost of $2.50– no thank you, I’ll drive. But I will take MARTA if it costs me $1.00. I’ll happily pay $6 to get from Decatur to within the terminal at the airport, so why only charge me $2.50?
From Wikipedia…
“Taking any particular station as the origin, the other stations fall into fare “zones” depending on the distance from the origin. The fare to all stations in a “zone” is the same and increases with distance, especially if the journey involves a harbour crossing. Fares for the Airport Express Line are significantly higher. Services to checkpoint terminuses are also more expensive than ordinary fares. Adult fares range from HK$3.00 to $47.50 (US$0.40–6.15). Concessionary fares are usually half the adult fare, and range from HK$1.40 to $23.80. Student fares are the same as child and elderly fare on the urban lines, but are the same as the Adult fares for journeys to or from checkpoint terminuses, and range from HK$1.40 to $39.40.”
The fare system installed back then does allow for variable pricing, albeit perhaps with a software upgrade. They’re just tasking their sweet old time analyzing the data and coming up with a strategy.
Is it that simple?
For MARTA? Let’s sample a few items from the 2010 MARTOC Report (for fiscal year ending June 30, 2010).
from Procurement Contracts
——–
RSM Services Corp.
Service Monitoring Mobile System (Ridership Reporting System)
$261,500.00 authorized
$0 paid
(“Contracts with no expenditures ($0) generally reflect an aware made late in the fiscal year.”)
SPSS, Inc.
Transit Research Mobile Computing Project – Software Component
$213,373.50 authorized
$171,011.83 paid to date
from Consultant Contracts
——–
Mundle & Associates
Prof. Svcs. To Develop and Evaluate Variable Based Fare Structure Options
$300,000.00 authorized
$299,921.36 paid to date
from Persons, Firms, or Corporations receiving $20,000 or more
——–
(variable-based fare system)
> Development of VBFS Implementation Plan Options
$360,797.16 Mundle & Associates, Inc
(?)
>Transit Planning Consulting Services
$6,270,964.73 DMJM Harris
(Breeze related)
> Design, Construction & Maintenance of Fare System & Smart Card Fare Media
$12,494,140.62 Cubic Transportation Systems
> Breeze Card Fare Media
$1,627,664.45 Confidex, Inc
>Contactless Smart Card Fare Media
$960,000.00 Ask-Inttag, LLC
> Bus to Rail Transfer Fare Media
$85,205.00 Electronic Data Magnetics Inc
they just need to copy DC’s system.
I’ve probably been reading too much about cell phone plans, but the lines “Whether it’s the time of day that you’re traveling or how far that you’re traveling” reminded me of various data plans.
Everything Platinum Plan: Unlimited frequency and distance on Marta subways and buses during operating hours. $$$$
– Use Marta anytime, anywhere, as many times as you want daytime and evening.
Everything Platinum Daytime Plan: Unlimited frequency and distance on Marta subways and buses during predetermined daytime hours. $$$
– Use Marta anytime, anywhere, as many times as you want during predetermined daytime hours.
Everything Platinum Evening Plan: Same as daytime plan, except it applies to predetermined evening hours. $$$
Permutations of the above could be offered for people who know they only need Marta X number of times a day or night or to certain locations.
Not sure how practical it would be, though. ^_^
One advantage of the variable fare I’d like is that people who live outside of Fulton and DeKalb will generally pay more (especially if going to airport from Gwinnett). This is only appropriate, since they do not pay the extra sales tax in their county.
I’m not sure how that would work since MARTA doesn’t go to Gwinnett, Cobb, etc. How would you know who they are to charge them more? Not everyone who goes to the Doraville station are from Gwinett, for instance.
“Not everyone who goes to the Doraville station are from Gwinett, for instance.”
Hence my use of the term generally. I’ve walked through the Doraville parking lot on a few occasions and the majority of the license plates are from Gwinnett. Marta has conducted surveys of all of its parking lots and found that over 40% of the tags are from outside Fulton and DeKalb. Most of those who park at Doraville are going downtown so will pay more under a fare system based on distance. Of course not everyone who parks there lives in Gwinnett, but it is one way to get more revenue from those who do. I’d imagine the same would be true for the other terminal points of the rail line.