Photo by Ashley S. Westerman. The Greenbelt Metro Station, at the northern end of the Green Line, is one of 15 Metrorail stops in Prince George’s County. Metro is asking for an 8 percent increase in funds from jurisdictions outside of the District of Columbia.

Published on: Wednesday, January 25, 2012

By Ashley S. Westerman

Metro plans to increase its operating and capital budgets by $116 million for the next fiscal year, according to the budget recommendation made by Metro General Manager and CEO Richard Sarles on Jan. 12.

The $1.6 billion operating budget proposal includes fare hikes as well as a proposed 8 percent, or $53 million, increase from jurisdictions.

In a statement, Sarles said this will help continue Metro’s path of improvement.

“The proposed operating and capital budgets allow us to further enhance safety, continue the rebuilding effort, and advance important service enhancements, such as increased preventive maintenance of escalators, enhanced bus corridor service and added rail rush hour serve in preparation for the Silver Line,” Sarles said.

Fifty-five million dollars of the funding increase will fund safety, security, reliability, preparation for the Silver Line and other improvement programs. The remainder will support the existing rail system as well as labor-related increases.

Metro plans to increase their total number of employees by almost 9 percent and would include: 448 hires for “safety and state of good repair” effects; 363 more Metro Transit Police officers, station managers, train operators and others to help run the Silver Line; 33 hires for new facilities; and 169 for “system investments.” Sixty escalator technicians and 51 rail-car maintenance workers are included among the system investment hires, reported the Washington Post.

Despite the potential future employment opportunities the new budget has to offer, many Metro customers are strongly against the proposed fare increases.

Average rail SmarTrip fares for peak hours will increase 5 percent, discounts on off-peak rail fares will decrease and paper fare card pricing will be “simplified” by initiating $6 flat-rate tickets one way during peak hours and a $4 flat-rate one way for regular hours. Local bus fares will increase by a dime and parking fees will increase by 25 cents.

Additionally, the “peak-of-peak” surcharge as well as the short-trip pass and day pass will all be eliminated.

“Better is not free,” Sarles said in a statement. “And as we are playing catch up and building a better Metro that benefits all our stakeholders, we are asking everyone to contribute.”

Some local riders say Metro doesn’t deserve any more of their money until service improves.

Johnny Tutt, of Mount Rainier, commutes via Metrorail to work in Washington, D.C., and is adamantly against the fare hikes.

“I already pay almost $10 a day to ride the Metro,” Tutt said. “Everything is already bad, how much are they going to ask for? When is it going to stop?”

Tutt said he is lucky, though, because he telecommutes three days of the week.

The fare hikes “won’t really affect me as much, but I am still upset that the prices are going up,” Tutt said.

Dina Ginkina, a graduate student at the University of Maryland who lives in College Park, said she only goes downtown about once a week. She said spending $8 for the train ride alone costs too much.

“That’s pretty insane,” said Ginkina, adding that she has to use Metrorail to get into the district because she doesn’t own a car.

Ginkina, who grew up in New York City, recalls the subway system there raising its fares twice in her lifetime.

“It’s always a big deal,” she said. “The first time they raised it to $2, so way less than here.”

Ginkina also said she doesn’t understand why it’s so much more expensive to ride a rail system in a smaller city than New York.

“I guess I don’t need to go into the city all the time, so it’s not a big problem, but I guess I don’t understand why it would be so much more expensive here,” Ginkina said.

Carly Brin, of Berwyn Heights, rides Metrorail into the district every day for work.

“I understand why they need to do it,” said Brin, adding that riding Metrorail still cheaper than driving. “The government doesn’t have enough money to do it on their own, and it’s a pretty good system that’s pretty old … where else are they going to get the money?”