The Madison Transit and Parking Commission approved a 25-cent increase in bus cash fares last week, a lower increase than originally proposed in the city’s 2009 budget.
TPC voted for the second time to not increase prices to 50 cents as proposed by Mayor Dave Cieslewicz but instead chose a lower increase as a compromise with the budget approved by the City Council.
“The compromise would be to get out of the false dichotomy that we either have to raise fares or cut services, but to look for things that we are spending money on that are outside our regular operations and free up money,” TPC Chair Carl Durocher said.
The budget, approved by the City Council in 2008, counted on a fare increase of 50 cents and included $150,000 in route service improvements. The new fare leaves Metro with a $210,000 projected shortfall after cutting the new services.
The $1.75 fare is expected to bring in $400,000 for the 2009 year.
The increase does not affect the dollar amount paid by University of Wisconsin students to receive bus passes. The price, $53.52 in segregated fees, already includes bus fare increases until 2010, when the contract expires.
Metro spokesperson Mick Rusch said transit authorities are currently working out details to balance the budget. Holiday service and a small business outreach program could be the first items to go. The outreach program would reduce the shortfall by $50,000.
The shortfall also eliminates a low-income bus pass service that would cost the city $100,000. Although the money would come from a contingency fund and not the Metro budget, using those funds during a shortfall could pose a challenge to Metro’s finances.
“We’d be cutting things too short,” Rusch said.
Lisa Subeck, a representative from the Dane County YMCA who has worked with the mayor on the program, said combining the proposed increase to $2 with the low-income riders initiative would be a better a way to solve Madison’s transportation issues in the long run.
But the initiative, which would have provided 400 low-income riders with monthly passes at $27.50 beginning April 2009, will be on hold until the city’s 2010 budget.
Cieslewicz, who originally called TPC’s decision to not approve the fare increase “irresponsible,” is expected to appeal the decision. He was out of town and unavailable for comment as of press time but wrote on his blog he is considering bringing the issue back to City Council for further discussion.
The Council is responsible for setting Metro’s budget but has no say on bus fares and service levels, which are set by TPC.
The current price for a monthly bus pass is $48, and the $1.75 fare will take effect April 5.
