DDOT is trying to raise the cost of the regional bus pass to $69.50

**Transit Patty** · March-14-11, 09:49 AM

Tuesday, March 15, at 2:30 PM, City Council is having a hearing regarding amending the fare ordinance to increase the cost of a regional pass $69.50 from $49.50. They are doing this without giving riders notice as required by FTA. No notices have been posted in the buses or at the Rosa Parks Transit Center. DDOT's been having problems keeping enough drivers on its routes and keeping track of its bus fares. Reliability is not where it needs to be to warrant a fare increase. Now's the time to let City Council know that a 40% fare increase is not what we need. If you can't make the hearing, give Council members a call.

**Hypestyles** · March-15-11, 03:02 PM

I will be calling the offices-- bus routes need to expand, not contract..

**Danny** · March-16-11, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

I will be calling the offices-- bus routes need to expand, not contract..

Much better than raising the bus fare to $3.00 a ride or $0.75 a transfer. Most poor folks are not going to a $69.50 regional bus pass while on hard times.

**epiphany** · March-16-11, 12:23 PM

It's not really a bad price for a monthly pass. Maybe SMART will be able to raise the price of the regional pass if this happens... then you won't have to swipe your SMART card and then still have to put in change/swipe a second card to ride SMART. That is really freaking annoying.

**1KielsonDrive** · March-16-11, 01:10 PM

It's the basic 'free market' program: bailout corporations and the rich while cutting their taxes, tax retirement benefits and raise prices of basic necessities of the poor.

**English** · March-16-11, 01:13 PM

Well, in this country, of course the rich are virtuous and deserving, while the poor are undeserving, slothful, and immoral.

I guarantee that there are wide swaths of Americans that believe that statement, even as exaggerated as it is.

**1KielsonDrive** · March-16-11, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by English

Well, in this country, of course the rich are virtuous and deserving, while the poor are undeserving, slothful, and immoral.

I guarantee that there are wide swaths of Americans that believe that statement, even as exaggerated as it is.

You are so right. The wide swath you refer to also includes some of the very people who are most deserving of assistance. They've been beat up and put upon for so long for being 'welfare moms', 'drug addicts', 'driving cadillacs', 'beggars', 'homeless', 'thiefs', etc, etc, it's ingrained in them that they are undeserving of even life's basic necessities.