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EHsE t1_iu4s5mp wrote

Reply to comment by ahmc84 in Metro Exploring Short-Term Fare Hikes And Long-Term Fare Overhauls by Maxcactus

why would i care if fare evaders stop riding? either revenue collected goes up because they start paying, or the platforms and trains are less congested because they stop riding.

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ahmc84 t1_iu4t5r7 wrote

Because the cost of real enforcement to stop fare evaders (meaning, vigilant enforcement at the faregate, ensuring that fines get paid, etc.) is not zero. The balance has to be that that cost is outweighed by the additional revenue from those who decide to pay instead of jumping the gate, plus the revenue from drawing additional riders to a system they perceive to be safer because the "criminals" are being kept out. I don't know where the inflection point is for that.

WMATA says they are about to start cracking down by issuing tickets to evaders, but that's only a deterrent if there is a will to pursue people to make sure those fines get paid.

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EHsE t1_iu4tuw9 wrote

that’s only true if you’re looking at MWATA as an entity that exists to turn a profit, which is the wrong way to look at public transport. it’s a public service that is partially offset by collections - to my knowledge, the metro has literally never been solvent without needing additional funding.

increasing enforcement for a few years, even at a loss, would at least put a dent in the “fare optional” culture of the metro

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