MTD Fare Hike Looms
Tuesday, December 23, 2008 In September, the Metropolitan Transit District cited zooming gas prices as one reason for raising bus fares 50 cents per trip — effective January 1, 2009 — so shouldn’t it consider trimming the increases now that fuel is far cheaper? The hard-hitting recession is another new factor that’s kicked in since September. Mickey B., I’ll call him, was laid off recently and is desperately job hunting. He’s worried that if his car is repossessed he won’t be able to afford the higher bus fare. In these days of tighter budgets, every dollar is vital and must be balanced against food and other expenses. If the price of gas has dropped by half or more, isn’t there room to shave something off the fare hike?
Belen Seara (pic:Paul Wellman)
No, says Sherrie Fisher, MTD’s general manager, who plans to put the rate hike into effect on New Year’s Day as scheduled, intending to raise the nearly $1.5 million needed to keep the $22 million budget in the black. For one thing, she said, diesel fuel hasn’t gone down as much as gasoline, and prices remain volatile, meaning that they could go right back up. But some members of PUEBLO, a working-class advocacy group, and SBCAN, a progressive advocacy organization — both part of the coalition that compromised on the bus fare increases — argue that the fare hike should now be reconsidered. “SBCAN and PUEBLO’s Education Fund believe that a responsible public agency like MTD would have to reconsider the fare increases now that the primarily understood reason — the cost of fuel — no longer exists,” said Belen Seara, executive director of PUEBLO. “We are concerned they are headed toward a public relations backlash by raising fares when fuel prices are now less than half the price when the fare increases were an emergency decision months ago.”
But MTD’s Fisher countered, “Yes, fuel is better now, but the state economy isn’t and we rely heavily on sales taxes. Sales tax revenues are flat or decreasing.” MTD also relies on the state transportation assistance program funds, which Fisher said are “in jeopardy” because the governor is threatening to cut them off. California’s state government is facing a multi-billion-dollar deficit. “Meanwhile, MTD ridership has increased and is continuing to do so,” said Fisher, adding, “Amazing! Hooray!” But more riders also mean higher operational costs, she explained. PUEBLO’s Seara said the two groups urge MTD to “immediately plan a public outreach program so the community has access to the new adjusted numbers now that fuel costs have gone down, explain the nuances of the flat or declined state revenue sources as why the fares increases still are needed, restore bus services that have been cut down, such as Line 8, and live up to its promises to develop a long-term plan with community input.” Seara explained, “If MTD implements bus fare increases without reaching to its constituents first with a solid and honest explanation, it would not be good for the agency nor its loyal and dependent riders.”
MTD public board meeting discussing the possibility of fare increases to cover the increasing cost of fuel
Seara said that it was “unfortunate” that MTD didn’t discuss this during the December 16 board meeting. “That would have been the time to decide about how to give a better explanation to the public about why bus fares really are increasing in January,” she said, “and how MTD would instead improve service because the budget hit for fuel prices is not coming.”
On January 1, the regular cash fare will jump from $1.25 to $1.75, a 10-ride adult pass will be raised from $10 to $11.50, and 30-day passes will go from the current $41 up to $52. Fares for students, seniors, and the disabled will also be higher, said Fisher, but Santa Barbara City College and UCSB students will still get free passes.
Barney Brantingham can be reached at barney@independent.com or (805) 965-5205. He writes online columns and a print column on Thursdays.
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