In case anyone requires a reminder, here goes: Metro needs money.
And who will give them said cash? You and me, of course!
The transit agency is mulling how much to increase fares as it prepares its budget that starts in July 2010 and is expected to be short nearly $100 million. Metro GM John Catoe will present his budget plans to the board in December.
The last time Metro increased fares was 2008 when parking and rail fees were hiked. The next budget was spared a fare increase when cuts were made instead.
The news of fare hikes won't please those who have suffered through endless delays all summer after the fatal crash in June.
They also won't be pleased to learn that Metro has been using "uncrashworthy" rail cars at the front of trains, even though it pledged to keep those old 1000-series cars in the middle of trains since the deadly crash in June, according to the Examiner:
"On the extreme, rare occasion, we would put a 1000 Series rail car in the lead," Metro spokesman Steven Taubenkibel said.
Metro could not provide numbers on how often the Rohr brand 1000 Series rail cars have been placed on the fronts or backs of trains. Taubenkibel said he was aware of one case in which the 1970s-era cars led a train on the Red Line.
But The Examiner has received reports of three such instances since the June 22 crash, which killed nine and injured more than 70 people.
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Will Metro stop doing this now that they've been exposed by the Examiner? Probably not. We're guessing they'll issue a rebuttal on their Web site instead of actually fixing any problems. Or perhaps they'll "investigate" the situation. It's what Metro does best, you know.
But don't worry. All that new cash that will flow in with a rate hike will magically fix all of these problems. Right?
