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Dear Editor: On Tuesday, Feb. 24, the City Council will vote on raising Madison Metro fares from the current rate of $1.50 per ride to $1.75 or $2 per ride (and raising other fare options accordingly). Increasing the cost of taking the bus is the wrong decision.
A fare hike would be unduly hard on the many low-income riders who rely on the system for all their transportation. It would send the wrong message about Madison's commitment to environmental sustainability, and would decrease the number of riders who take the bus by choice. The loss of bus ridership would mean not only less revenue, but also more traffic and congestion and less available parking for all drivers. The mayor's dogged insistence on the fare increases when this year's city spending on roads is projected at $64.4 million just shows how out of touch he is on this issue. Why would we want to make public transportation less attractive by raising rates or cutting service times and routes, especially in these tough economic times? We don't expect the parks, highways, snowplows, and police forces to pay for themselves. No, these are core, critical city services that are worthy causes for our tax dollars. As is Madison Metro.
Jessica King, Madison
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