Most Metro commuters will have to wait years before they will be able to buy a monthly transit pass that isn’t more expensive than their regular travel cost, the agency acknowledged Wednesday.
General Manager Richard Sarles said the agency’s 36-year-old computer system can’t handle anything more complicated than a $230-a-month pass that reflects the cost for commuters who pay for parking at stations and have the longest rail commutes.
“It’s old, it’s a legacy system, which is a polite word for antiquated,” Sarles told The Washington Examiner after the agency’s budget hearing in front of a D.C. Council committee Wednesday.
The agency has proposed a $230 monthly pass as part of its fare increase proposal in its fiscal 2013 budget. Even then, the monthly passes won’t be available for the many riders who participate in the SmartBenefits program in which they have money automatically taken pretax from their paychecks and placed on their SmarTrip cards.
“We realize that would be appealing to a lot of people if they could use it,” said spokesman Philip Stewart. “We’re looking into it, but there are no changes planned.”
For the District’s short- to mid-range commuters, a cheaper monthly pass isn’t possible now because the computers aren’t equipped to handle the nuances of more than one type of monthly pass.
“In a few years we hope to have that capability,” Sarles said.
D.C. Councilwoman Muriel Bowser said even if that were possible, riders are looking for a deal when they buy a monthly pass rather than just something that is equal to their commute.
“If I have a monthly pass where I get to pay for all my commuting trips upfront, it’s like, well big whoop,” she said. “[There are] a lot of people who use their car on the weekends so that doesn’t benefit them.”
But Metro Chief Financial Officer Carol Dillon Kissal said offering a discount on rider commutes in exchange for paying for the month upfront would cut into the agency’s bottom line.
The value for riders comes during off-peak hours or on the weekend, when commuters may choose to ride Metro instead of driving, she said.
Last week, a Metro board committee approved a slate of fare hikes. The plan includes raising parking by 25 cents, and rail trips by as much as 75 cents for SmarTrip users and $1 for paper card users.
The full Metro board of directors is scheduled to take up the fare proposal next week.
