Not the Time to Discuss Fare Hikes

It’s almost impossible to comment on fare increases when we don’t know what service will look like: we’ve heard cuts up to 50-percent. We know that in any other cycle it would be time to consider fare increases. But this year is different. Many riders don’t need to travel the same way, and it may be years before they do again – if ever. It isn’t the time to give them an excuse to stay off trains, but to encourage them to come back. We need stimulus, we need congestion pricing, we need access to all the funds Washington can provide. But we don’t need talk of a fare hike.