So these cards will be sold for drug money, solving nothing and making an existing problem worse.
If they want to make it easier for the “poor” to ride public transit reduce fares for everyone or simply admit that public transit is never going to be profitable and provide the service for free.
“If they want to make it easier for the “poor” to ride public transit reduce fares for everyone or simply ... provide the service for free.”
Thanks for the clarity. How simple, and effective! Reduce fares. In the extreme, eliminate fares. By the way if you eliminate fares, you no longer need people and equipment to collect fares - so that reduces some expenses. That would defray some of the increased rail car cleaning bills.
Your suggestion is very sensible in terms of the stated goal, increasing ridership.
However, it implicitly acknowledges the law of demand. Next people might discuss supply, demand, market prices and perhaps (shudder) laissez fair economics. The actual convoluted proposal, like the current convoluted D.C. budget, maintains the appearance of government control - the mayor and others are busy “running the city.” Leave that to the professionals.
The Metro rail system was devised to get cars off the road. It was a gigantic project that included much tunneling under an existing city. The cost of building the system was never going to be recovered. The billions spent was just a gift.
You would think the metro system could at least recoup operating expenses. I don’t think that has ever been the case. Imagine giving someone a brand-new automobile and telling the recipient “You have to maintain it.” Sometime later, they come back and ask for gas money. Oh, and it costs money to change the oil. Detailing yearly (why not monthly?) is expensive too...
What does the metro rail system achieve? The main benefit seems to be that suburban (I prefer “uberurban”) sites collect workers and flow them into the city for work. Terminuses are limited by parking. Also, the line should always be extended farther and farther away from the city.
Increased parking and rail line extension makes sense in terms of “getting cars off the road,” the initial goal. It costs money of course. Also, it fuels dreaded sub-urban (above-urban) growth, reducing city population and growth.
The Metrorail system was a giant boondogle. It never lived up to the promises made. It should never have been done. We should never do it again in any other city.