Metro claims that the price for the unlimited ride passes is based on the average cost of a ride paid by the non-unlimited ride pass rider. So, they take all the $2.00 fares and the $1.40 fares (10-ride tickets) and divide them by the number of passengers and transfers and come up with the reimbursement for the unlimited ride passes. According to Metro's figures, 47% of riders transfer, which is how the lower cost is derived. Transfers only count if the ride card is put through on the transfer, not whether the transfer is handed out by the driver. I find this figure unreasonably high.
On Wed, Apr 21, 2010 at 10:07 PM, Dan Ross <[email protected]> wrote: > > A concern about how the per-ride cost with Metro is calculated: they > count every bus boarding/pass swipe as a ride. That means a ride with > one transfer, which can be pretty common, counts as 2 rides. But if > you paid cash or used a 10-ride ticket, that would count as one ride > (transfer would be free). I don't know if the per-ride cost is > calculated accounting for this--but the fact is that the passes are > individually identifiable, and together with time/date stamps, Metro > and UWTS should be able to treat some rides as "transfer-like" if the > adjacent boardings are within 2 hours of each other. > Certainly, charging $1.15 per ride (and therefore $2.30 for 2-segment > trips) is unfair if the cash fair is $2.00 for a 2 or 3 segment trip. > > If this is too off-topic, I apologize. I really do enjoy the bike > updates on this list (which I only joined a week or 2 ago). > > Dan > > > Message: 6 > > Date: Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:58:55 -0500 > > From: Robbie Webber <[email protected]> > > To: Bikies <[email protected]>, [email protected], > > mabaaa <[email protected]> > > Cc: rick <[email protected]> > > Subject: [Bikies] UW Transportation open forums - update > > Message-ID: > > <[email protected]> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 > > > > Here's what I learned at the open forum last night regarding the UW > > Transportation Services. Just an FYI, the first point below is due to > > a posting in another venue that incorrectly reported that this was due > > to cut in state funding. > > > > I think it is very important for those who work or study at the UW, or > > the hospitals, and those that are affected by the policies and > > programs of the UW Transportation Services, to attend one of the > > forums, or at least forward comments on these matters. We should be > > speaking out on what our priorities are for all the options for moving > > people around campus and facilitating (or discouraging) certain modes. > > > > A link to the web page with more info is at the end of this message. > > As a reminder, the remaining forums will be held: > > > > * Wednesday, May 5: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ebling Symposium center > > in the Microbial Sciences Building, 1550 Linden Drive. > > > > * Thursday, May 6: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the multipurpose room in > > University Square, 333 E. Campus Mall > > > > * Tuesday, May 25: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Room 1335 in the Health Sciences > > Learning Center, 750 Highland Ave. > > > > 1. This is not because of state budget cut. UW Transportation Services > > receives no state money. They pay for everything out of revenues they > > collect: permits, visitor parking, special events, tickets, etc. When > > I say pay for everything, that means staff, web site, brochures, bike > > lockers, bus passes, enforcement, etc. Also, building and maintaining > > the parking ramps and lots - see point # > > > > 2. The problem is that they have been building a ton of underground > > parking and ramps so they can build on the previous surface lots. The > > structured parking is very expensive, and now they are facing a huge > > debt service. Plus lots and lots of of UW faculty and staff are using > > the bus, so the amount UW has to pay Metro (which also comes from > > those same revenues coming in) has gone up. It's great that many > > people are using the bus, but it does mean an increased cost for UW. > > > > 3. No matter what happens, or how you feel about various modes of > > transportation, UW Transportation Services has to either cut costs or > > increase revenue. They want to hear from people as to how they can do > > this, and what people's priorities are. Everything is on the table. > > Options presented at the meeting included changing the parking permit > > program in various ways, charging more - or at all - for off-peak > > hours, charging visitors more, making certain premium lots much more > > expensive, charging per hour instead of via half or full day for Flex > > parkers, etc. > > > > 4. Cutting, or having employees pay for the bus pass is only one > > option being explored. It is very doubtful that the pass program would > > be cut. It is possible that some employee buy-in would be instituted. > > $50-100 for the whole year would still be a bargain, although less so > > for the occasional bus rider (like most bicycle commuters.) > > > > 5. The slides presented are on line (see below), and they are hoping > > to get Patrick Katz's presentation (Director of Transportation > > Services) up as a video as well, > > > > Link to slides and more info on the open forums: > > http://www2.fpm.wisc.edu/trans/openforums.asp > > > > > > Robbie Webber > > Bike Walk Madison Steering Committee > > www.bikewalkmadison.org > > Join our group on Facebook! > _______________________________________________ > Bikies mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org >
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