Members of Metro’s board of directors will meet today to again discuss raising fares, with the conflict between D.C. and the suburbs over whether to add a hefty parking increase as the major unresolved issue.

There is general agreement among board members that passengers will need to pay higher fares to help Metro eliminate an estimated $109 million shortfall, but the question is which passengers?

“There’s no consensus,” said D.C. Council Member Jim Graham, who favors raising daily parking fees by $1.25 and leaving bus fares the same.

Graham and other District of Columbia representatives believe bus riders, who tend to be from lower income levels, should be spared any hike and that the more-affluent suburban riders can easier afford increases.

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Board members from Maryland and Virginia, however, are loathe to support any plan that significantly raises rail fares and parking fees without increasing bus fares.

The board has been deadlocked since September over who should bear the brunt of the increase. Graham and Emeka Moneme, the city’s transportation director as well as a board member, blocked General Manager John Catoe’s plan to raise parking fees by 50 cents, rail fares by as much as 40 cents and regular bus fares by 25 cents.

The first step in the fare-increase process will be to schedule public hearings, but the board must first approve a set of specific increases for the public to discuss.

“We need to present increases to the public that are large enough for them to discuss and provide input,” said Peter Benjamin, who represents Montgomery County on the board.

jrogalsky@dcexaminer.com