I don't think it's unreasonable for Metro Transit to ask for a fare increase. Perhaps raising the fare and cutting some services would be helpful. Every major city has had to raise bus fares to keep services going.

Of course it will affect low-income people. However, large cities with higher populations of low-income people have had to raise fares and people have had to adjust to those changes.

Another concern of the Transit and Parking Commission is that Metro Transit will lose ridership. I don't see this happening. Though the price of gas is down, the bad economy has forced people to take cost cutting measures.

Cutting holiday and Sunday service will impact riders more than a 50-cent fare increase. Using cab services to get to work will cost low-income riders much more than a 50-cent bus fare increase.

-- Nichole R. Taylor, Madison

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Car owners should subsidize bus use

I suggest that the city assess a fee of $5 to $10 when issuing car tags and stickers to cover the cost of maintaining the Metro bus service.

There should be subsidization of buses by those who wish to drive rather than use public transport. (Full disclosure: I ride the bus perhaps once a year.)

-- Rebecca Cole, Madison

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Think creatively -- let buses be city service

Let's re-frame the Madison bus fare question. I propose that Madison buses have no bus fare at all, or one simple small fare for all, perhaps 50 cents a ride.

Stop seeing Metro Transit as a city-run business that should at least pay for itself. Instead, view it as a public utility like streets, garbage pickup and so on, supported mainly by taxes paid by all. No public transportation system in the world breaks even.

We'd all save with reduced congestion, improved air quality, added convenience, fewer parking facilities, access to transportation for all, reduced dependence on foreign oil, fewer roads and parking garages constructed, etc.

By not collecting fares, there'd be no overhead for printing tickets and transfers, no complex collection machines, no accounting department, few marketing costs.

Wrap all the buses with ads for income (but don't cover the windows) and extend lines to the outlying suburbs with a modest charge for suburban service. Use part of the city parking revenue for the bus budget and find other ways to make private cars share in the costs. Think creatively.

-- Dave Steffenson, Madison
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