Fares
on the D.C. Circulator could soon double, the first fare increase in the
bus system's six-year history.
The District Department of Transportation
is calling for the bus service to charge $2 per trip for cash rides.
Under the plan, those using plastic SmarTrip farecards would pay $1.50.
Riders now pay just $1 per trip, a
convenient fare because no coins are needed. It also makes the D.C.
Circulator popular because that rate undercuts the fares on Metrobus.
The proposed increase would equalize the
fares, though, so both buses cost $1.50 for SmarTrip users. It also
would make the Circulator more expensive for cash-paying riders, who
would then pay 30 cents more than if taking a Metrobus.
The proposal is expected to bring in an
extra $1.1 million in revenue, according to a DDOT draft study. DDOT
spokesman John Lisle said it's unlikely that the fare increases would
begin before October, when the city's new budget begins. The timing also
depends on the city's $320 million budget gap, he said, and what needs
to be done to close it.
Like nearly all forms of transportation,
the city currently subsidizes every ride on the Circulator buses, paying
an average of $2.31 per rider on top of every $1 fare.
The bus service launched in 2005 and has
become quite popular, expanding from two looping routes to six routes
covering 35 miles.
The Circulator has grown in part because
it's relatively easy to take. The lines don't operate on a set schedule
like Metrobus, running instead 10 minutes apart, so riders don't need to
look up arrival times.
In reality, though, the buses run
"on time" within 15-minute intervals or less just 77 percent
of the time, according to DDOT.
Still, the buses provided 4.8 million
trips last year and City Council members have clamored to add new lines
in their wards.
The city decided earlier this month to
cut the Smithsonian-National Mall route due to low ridership, but it is
hoping to add several additional lines by 2020. The city is hosting a
public meeting on Thursday to outline its plans for the bus service.
kweir@washingtonexaminer.com
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