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Originally posted by George Bush
Burger, C.J.--glad you found my post entertaining; in many ways, it is better to be entertaining than right. I am afraid that this post is going to be much less entertaining... sorry.

In terms of my diatribe, I take it that all of us agree that machines with many moving parts (such as... oh, I don't know, escalators) belong under rooves, if not behind walls, not heading unprotected into snow and salt and rain; and that the Metro's infamous "hub and spoke" design *might* have made sense in nineteen-seventy-whenever, but causes ridiculous overcrowding today.

Sorry for blowing of so much steam at once, but there is so much about our subway that we can all agree to hate, I sometimes get carried away.

As for fare structures, though, I fear that my penchant for attacking the Metro may have obscured my point... I was not attacking graduated fares. Graduated fares may or may not make sense, but my argument in that post was about the EXPONENTIALLY GRADUATED SURCHARGE for peak usage. Let me respond to your points by the numbers:

1) the fixed cost of serving the suburbs are greater than of serving downtown... maybe, BUT NOT A RELEVANT POINT if true, because you get access to far more revenue if you go out to the burbs, so that the cost and revenue increase together. Not increasing this costs will not save you money.

It is a network effect, sort of like telephone usage: the value of every subway stop increases with the addition of each other stop, becuase more riders and more destinations come within reach of each other. I doubt very much that a downtown-only subway could come close to paying for itself, because as I mentioned earlier, COMMUTERS PROVIDE THE VAST BULK OF REVENUE. Week-end/off-peak usage just doesn't pay the bills.

Variable costs? Probably not. If variable cost were the only issue, the trains would only run during rush hour, when they are profitable.

2) Suburbanites benefit even more from metro than downtowners... check.

I was trying to make that point when I said that WE subsidize YOUR (well, Pai-Gow's, anyway) week-end use of what is effectively OUR commuting system. The system was not built for urbanites, but rather for commuters... which is why it irritates us that you ride for so much less.

3) People are willing to pay for space... check.

4) The surcharge should apply to everyone... check. What I was trying to say was that

Peak: White Flint-Jud. Sq. = $3.50
Dupont Circle-J. S. = $1.35

Off-Peak WF-JS = $2.25
DC-JS = $1.10

*BUT* (key point) during Peak, EVERY SPACE ON THE TRAIN AT METRO CENTER is filled. Two stops later, Mr. Dupont Circle leaves, ending his revenue contributions to the subway. Mr. White Flint remains on for another hour, paying the whole time.

EACH of them has forced someone else to stand on the platform.
Surcharge for Dupont: 15 c.
for White Flint: $1.25

loss to system: $1.10 for Dupont passenger, whose space could have been filled by someone going to White Flint.

My proposal: a FLAT SURCHARGE if your trip goes through Chinatown/Metro Center/L'Enfant Plaza DURING RUSH HOUR. So,

Peak: WF-JS = $3.25
DC-JS = $2.10

and both are paying $1 TO RIDE DURING PEAK TIME because they are preventing someone from getting on at MetroC/CT/L'EP. No surcharge if your trip doesn't go through MC/CT/L'EP, though, because you aren't forcing people off the train.

THAT BEING SAID....

They should not be trying to raise revenues with subways. All transportation systems cost money. Maybe something like the Brooklyn Bridge, as a toll, turns a profit, MAYBE... but the Beltway doesn't. ALL of us, both PaiGow, me, and the rest of you, are paying for the Beltway, but the USERS of the eco-friendly, quality-of-life-enhancing subway pay a good chunk of what the system costs. Hmmm...

Unfortunately, the lay-out of the stupid thing means that only a select few can take advantage of it. Our earlier Old Town Alexandria poster can no more take advantage of the subway than could someone living in G'town, and those are DESIREABLE areas.

Still, I think that people should be encouraged to take advantage of the subway, so at the end of the day, I think that I favour a flat fare. For one thing, you don't need to worry about swiping out at the far end. Anyway, that's my two cents.

a) you are scary
b) I dunno about Ju Square to Dup Cic, but Farragut North to an exit the same number ofstopsduring peak is only $1.10. Considering its only about a mile or less,I would say the price is right. I dont know where the hell White Flint is but it sounds many many miles away. Why one would live there and thus becaume an embitterd commuter cog on the metro wheel spenind too much time going toand fro just so he can get to his beige office and back to his cultureless office max town is beyond me, but i would say the mileage alone justifies whateve ryou spend. It is still WAY cheaper and less aggravating than driving, no?