examiNation DC: What do you think about the cost of riding Metro potentially increasing to $15 per week?

The proposed increases are going to have the unintended effect of putting people back in their cars. True some people ride metro to avoid traffic, but the main reason is it usually is cheaper than driving. With the increase this will no longer be true. My trip from SS to Braddock Rd is $3.65 each way plus $1.60 for the bus to and from the SS station and I spend $8.90 and over 2 hours for a commute that I can drive in less time and less money. If they increase the fares there is no way that I will ride the metro again, it just wouldn't make cents. I think that is how a lot of people are going to make their decision. What is going to cost less, driving or Metro?

Hey someone has to pay for increases, why not the most prosperous counties in the United States? Whats 15 bucks they drive these 4x4's day in and day out, and the average home is over a half a million make it a round number like $30 a week for daily commuters Maybe there would be more riders and less costs if the trains ran later and further,,,,, When you look around the country Metro is not a bad deal , beats sitting in traffic The DC people will always complain they forget where there money comes from its the taxpayers stupid! Besides someone has to subsidize the illegals that Fenty wants in DC

I have never seen so many people whine! People give me a break. Public Transportation is what it is. Nothing more,nothing less. If you want outstanding customer service go to Nordstroms. Its not about paying for pensions or overtime. The people need to pay for the increase in the cost of fuel. Also remember to treat people the way you want to be treated.

There might not be a need for an increase if a) every time the weather is bad, people who live in the burbs get free avoid-driving metro rides (= lost revenue) while those who live in DC still pay--seems unfair to DCers & I never understand why this uneven policy is allowed since I don't benefit; if weather's bad, common sense dicatates you'd probably do metro anyway. &b)if you do live in Md. or Va. your sense of entitlement to shorter fares for longer rides is badly misplaced. In NY, one charge for all & seems fairer. &c)While all seniors deserve discounted rides, I dont believe all people in specific wards deserve discounted rides (if still do?) for same reason given above--it seems discriminatory to everyone else & loses revenue. Has anyone at metro actually computed how much $$ is lost annually due to free burb rides & reduced fares by DC ward? I wonder if it wouldnt change the picture. May be Ms. Barras can put this question to the metro people next time she interviews them?

Local governments in this area should subsidize Metro more than they currently do, but even with a lesser subsidy, it is still the best way to get to work. Whenever your commute takes you across the 14th Street Bridge, Metro is generally a better option.

I'm in favor of a minor increase, however, this proposed fare hike is too much and it's not the best solution in these days of global warming. Mass transit fares should be as attractive as possible to keep cars out of the road. Our government is part of the problem. This war is draining our homeland resources and the American people are paying for it every day.

The fare and parking proposal is ridiculous. Bus riders should pay their fair share and service on all lines needs to improve. Fare increases are shoved down our throats, but Metro won't open their books to those who keep them afloat. People are making 2-3 times their salary in overtime and receiving exorbitant pensions and they expect us to pay for it. GIVE ME A BREAK.

As someone who lives in a condo near my office in DC, I resent giving welfare subsidies to these McMansion livers in the suburbs. If they want the DC paycheck, they need to pay for their own ride to work. They made the greedy/ridiculous decision to live 30-50 miles from work, let them pay the true cost to get there. New York costs alot more and is not nearly as nice. Quit mooching. If you don't like it leave.

When are Metro Riders going to become hardline, militant and insistant in dealing with WMATA? We should tell them gives us quality and then you will have a right to charge more for it! When , then weekend delays become rarer, when buses are on time and are not dangerously overcrowded, then it might be reasonable to ask for a raise! When the Public Demanded for an accounting of Metro's Pension Funding is provided, then a fare increase might be in order! When instances of rude or callous treatment of passengers are few and far between, then a fare raise would be worth our consideration! A Fare increase to maintain what we have now- the lackluster, unreliable and unimpressive "service" that we are now getting- that is not worth five seconds of the passengers' time! Take a year and learn to be proper and impressive PUBLIC SERVANTS and then we might be swayed enough to listen!

Don't you mean "increasing BY $15 per week"? I already pay $11 each day to park and ride Metro. While these increases won't break the bank they make me mad that those of us in the surrounding counties have to pay so much more so that bus riders in the District can continue to pay less than bus riders in most other big cities. By the way, I pay for my commute with after-tax dollars and don't get the subsidy many in the city are getting. I think Sprawl&Crawl has it right today -- suburbanites are being taken for a ride and an expensive one at that.

Don't you mean "increasing BY $15 per week"? I already pay $11 each day to park and ride Metro. While these increases won't break the bank they make me mad that those of us in the surrounding counties have to pay so much more so that bus riders in the District can continue to pay less than bus riders in most other big cities. By the way, I pay for my commute with after-tax dollars and don't get the subsidy many in the city are getting. I think Sprawl&Crawl has it right today -- suburbanites are being taken for a ride and an expensive one at that.

Look at the larger picture -- reduce carbon emissions and ride public transportation.

$15 breaks my budget! Looking at it monthly ($60) and annually ($720) that is a hunk of change!!! If I saw changes such as 8-car trains, cleaner trains, better communications, then, maybe, I could understand the increase. I want to see, print, just what these "increases" are going to do for us, the commuter.

This is insane. If I have a smarttip card and the bus does not have a reader do I get to keep my dime?

I think it would be crazy for Metro to raise their fares considerably. There are so many other ways you can raise $, rather than taking more $ from the working people. For examle, Why not take advantage of the advertisement possibilities? I would be happy to discuss. Marlene Crooks

It is absolutely absurd at the amount of the fare hike and being pushed on a select few instead across the board. Who does Jim Graham think he is?