Madison’s Transit and Parking Commission voted against raising city bus fares at a meeting Tuesday night after an increase was approved by City Council last month.
In a 5 to 2 vote, there was much debate among the commission as to what the actual effects a bus fare increase would have on ridership numbers.
“I think a lot of us were concerned about the impact the fare increase would have on the riders that have the least means to pay for a fare increase,” said Gary Poulson, a Madison resident who sits on the commission. “I think we felt this economy, it’s just the wrong time to raise fares in a real recessionary time.”
Poulson added he and the commissioners were concerned over the methodology used by Madison Metro to factor the change the increase would have on ridership.
The proposal would have raised the price of a ride from $1.50 to $2 to cover increasing fuel costs and expand security and service.
Ald. Robbie Webber, District 5, said she was not sure if Madison Metro’s model on how much the increase was expected to make, as the American Public Transportation Authority projected different numbers, assuming that “if you raise fares a certain amount you will lose a certain number of riders because they will not want to pay that higher fare.”
“This has been a very difficult decision for everyone on the Transportation Parking Commission because we had public testimony a few weeks ago, and we heard from people who are really going to be effected if the fares are raised,” Webber said.
Webber said the commission was unhappy with the situation they were put in by City Council and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, as the mayor’s budget — which was passed by city council — left a gap of $680,000 and indicated it would be filled by increasing bus fares.
“Only the commission can raise fares,” Webber said. “We were left with a decision none of us liked.”
Regardless of an increase, Poulson said the price of unlimited bus passes — which is provided to all University of Wisconsin students from the Associated Students of Madison — would not be immediately effected, as the university is “pretty much locked in for the next year or two for the unlimited pass.”
