The April 6th Sound Transit Executive Committee meeting typifies the council’s failure to address the transit system’s real problems. In this case it's their approach to the meeting agenda, “Reports to the Committee,”
“Fare Strategy Briefing-Future of Fare Structures:
Sound Transit's approach was a "“Fare Strategy” presentation with a “fare guiding framework” goal:
We serve passengers with a fare structure that is regionally integrated to encourage transit ridership through equitable and simple pricing and financial stewardship
That “Upcoming needed Board Actions” included:
“Adopt an equitable and accountable fare compliance policy and expand reduced fare programs
It wasn’t clear what constituted “equitable” fares and why the need to expand “reduced fare programs”. Rather than simply pay a fare to get into the city, the 40-minute, 25-chart presentation included tables of fares based on distance you traveled from where you got on to where you got off. Riders needed to tap-off when they exited to avoid paying fares to the end of the route. A chart showed most Orca payers paid less than $2.75 of the $2.25-$3.50 fare range.
Other charts showed "peer transit light rail agencies" used flat fares with peak surcharge or Zone-bases fares. Sound Transit's approach to decide was detailed in a “Fare policy update” chart, “Key criteria for analysis of flat vs distance-based fares".
Simplicity
Racial equity
Financial impact to passengers and Sound Transit
Ridership impacts
The flat fare approach would seem to be simpler and its unclear how the other criteria affect the decision. The presentation concluded with plans to continue their "Comprehensive fares strategy" until Fall 2023/Winter 2024”. Again, the entire presentation and the Board’s response to spend a year on “Fare Strategy” to decide typifies their approach to issues.
Whatever the decision questions remain. What is the fare strategy for those who transfer from buses to light rail?. Especially those transferring from King County Metro and Snohomish Community Transit. Any “fare strategy” should also consider what’s required to meet recovery of operating costs. Sound Transit’s budget predicts Link 14% recover in 2023, a fraction of their 35% target.
That level presumably reflects the costs added by the 4.2-mile Northgate Link doubling the cost of the route from UW into Westlake. Especially during off-peak operation with mostly empty 4-car trains with operating cost 10 times that of a bus. Any fare strategy should also consider the additional 8.5 miles added by Lynnwood extensions doubles the Northgate Link costs to Westlake. Allowing Sound Transit to set fares that reduce farebox recovery, especially for longer routes and higher costs, risks unfairly burdening public.
More important, both Sound Transit and the Executive Committee were apparently unaware Sound Transit’s 2023 “Financial Plan and Proposed Budget”. It included 28,317,035 Link riders would pay $33,568,717 in fares in 2023, $1.185 fare per boarder,
Any "Fare Structure Strategy" to establish the fares is of little value until they get riders to pay them..
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