East Valley businesses oppose fare hike for light rail

by Colton Shone/KTAR (January 22nd, 2009 @ 6:21am)

Policy >>

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Businessmen in the East Valley are urging Valley Metro not to raise light rail fares.

Eric Emmert of the East Valley Chamber of Commerce Alliance said businesses are worried that ridership will drop if prices are raised.

"A targeted reduction in services is preferable to an across-the-board increase in fares," said Emmert.

The first 20 miles of light rail -- from 19th Avenue and Bethany Home Road in Phoenix, through Tempe, into Mesa -- opened the last week in December, charging a fare of $1.25 a ride. Valley Metro says it is not making 25 percent of operating costs as planned and that a fare increase or cut in services is necessary. It has discussed raising the fare to $2.25.

Emmert said Valley Metro could make money through creative advertising -- "naming of specific bus lines, advertising agreements with metro rail."

Higher rates could affect the planned expansion of light rail, Emmert said.

"The Metro system has been built on federal dollars, as well as a local match, and our concern is that any proposed extensions in the system would not receive federal funding if fares were allowed to increase and result in a reduction in ridership numbers," he said.

Emmert said members of the alliance "want to see light rail developed, they want to see extensions done. A reduction in ridership numbers could impact our ability to build those additional lines."

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  Infrastructure jobs will save the economy!

  Whatzupchuck

  . This just shows you what happens when the government tries to "add" to the "infrastructure". Cost and time overruns, and now, a fare increase. This is an apt demonstration of what will happen when Obama and the tax-and-spend Democrats try to "save" the economy with their "infrastructure" projects: Waste, expense, increased costs, and new tax hikes. If you're smart (and that includes you Democrats), you'll put a stop to Obama's ludicrous "infrastructure" programs. Tell him that if he wants to spend >$800 Billion to stimulate the economy, then give all of us $2,700 each. That'll get the economy rolling big time!

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  Increase fares/reduced schedule?

  sleeman

  Seriously the city thinks that increasing the fares will help? Who were the morons who did (or didn't do) their due diligence on this light rail system? I'm pretty sure now the selling presentation for this rail system was all 'smoke-and-mirrors'. The entire thing is based on honesty to begin with and with next to no one enforcing the fares how do you expect to make ANY money back? Seriously...on HONESTY? Give your head a shake! I think $2.25 is a bit much for a one way fare and I agree with businesses that ridership will probably decrease if the fares are increased. On the other hand, I disagree with the opinion to cut the schedule or frequency of the trains. I take light rail every day to work downtown as I'm fortunate enough to be able to use the system. However, right now the trains are inconsistent with the times they come (every 10 mins is not the norm). Scaling this back would only push me to start driving again since come summertime, I'm not going to want to wait more than 5-10 mins for a train to come by. In my opinion, the city SHOULD have spent the billions fixing the current (and terrible) bus system rather than adding to the existing infrastructure headache. Now we have two problems with the public transit system in this city: too few buses that aren't frequent enough and a money swallowing light rail system.

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