Re: BART crackdown
Author: david vartanoff
Date: 12-31-2019 - 11:10
on the face of it, yes. But, worth noting, in public transit, typical farebox recovery is 20-30% of the cost of operation, which does not usually count new fleet purchases or major capital expenditures. So,one might consider that fares are merely used as either incentives (cheap fares to major destinations) or disincentives (high fares to airports). If considered this way No fare is just as fair because, the bulk of the costs are covered by an amalgam of real estate fees, sales taxes, state funds to offset carbon, and many other sources. If one remembers that the sales tax transit revenues represent a much higher percentage of earnings of the working (let alone unemployed) poor, paying relatively high fares is not equitable. (When service sector low wage employees could still rent tiny apartments in rougher 'hoods near work, fares were not as much of an issue. As these workers have been priced out to Antioch, Vallejo, and other high fare to SF areas, commuting costs become more onerous.