Bill King: Free Metro

» Chron: Let's try transit without a fare box (Bill King)

Bill King advocates free Metro fares. From a purely self-interested viewpoint, it's an appealing idea. But I don't see it as an either-or option for expanding Metro Rail, which King at least lays the groundwork for. It stands to reason that if free ridership gives bigger bang for the buck at $50 mill a year, that it would have a similar benefit to the new rail lines as well.

Still on the problematic side of this policy idea is this: let's say the idea takes off and we've implemented totally free fare (ignore Park & Ride for now). Wouldn't there be a cost factor that deserves to go in here? More buses, more trains, more drivers (and benefits ... and pensions)? That cost may or may not be prohibitive to implementing the idea, but a thorough approach to the idea warrants including those dollars into the equation.

An even bigger problem is this ... what happens when sales tax revenues level off, decline, or budget dollars get tighter? King points out that the concept isn't irreversible, but I'd hate to be the mayor that oversees the move from free to paid. Obviously, if you look at this incrementally, it warrants a few pilot approaches to see what's feasible. Maybe pick one week each quarter where the fare is eliminated. That gives a fairly good snapshot of what you might get if you implement this fully.

Moving toward the more accepting side of the argument, there's this: public transportation has always been subsidized. The reason is that there's a public benefit: less stress on other public infrastructure, cleaner air, etc .... There may be a serious line of questioning as to whether the added public benefit is worth the $50+ mill that King sets the price at. Somehow, I have a problem seeing the Feds accepting it ... so it might be most likely to come out of the City Budget and/or any Metro reserves. Both of those strike me as more volatile sources of reliable funding for this measure.