Metro Board Weighing a Scaled-Down Fare Hike

Metro General Manager John B. Catoe Jr. is proposing a fare increase to board members that is smaller than the one he brought forward two weeks ago. Under a range of options to be presented to the public tomorrow, minimum rush-hour fares on the subway would go up between 20 and 40 cents, depending on when a fare increase is put into effect.

Metrobus rides, which cost a flat $1.25, would increase 25 cents, and parking fees would increase 50 cents regardless of the timetable.

The options, which were given to board members last night, are to be discussed at an agency board meeting tomorrow. Even though the latest numbers are smaller than the ones officials presented earlier this month, they still would represent the largest increase in agency history.

Metro officials say higher fares are needed to help close a projected shortfall in next year's budget.

Catoe has said he would like the increases to take effect as early as January. Under the January timetable, fares would rise 20 or 25 cents for the subway rush-hour boarding charge from $1.35, an increase of 15 to 18.5 percent. The maximum rush-hour subway fare would go up 60 cents, to $4.50 per trip, an increase of about 15 percent.

Metrorail fares vary by the time of day and distance of the trip. Metro officials are also planning to increase costs for those who take longer trips.

If Metro waited until July to impose higher fares, minimum rush-hour subway fares would increase either 35 or 40 cents, with maximum fares rising as much as $1.25, board members said.

Still, the latest options are lower than the increases officials recommended two weeks ago, which would have raised the minimum subway fare by 45 cents, bus fees by a quarter and parking by $1 for a fare hike in January. Board members put discussion of those rates on hold so Metro staff could provide more details about the agency's costs and revenue forecasts.

"Mr. Catoe has been very wise in providing a range of options which we can explore on Thursday," said board member Jim Graham, a D.C. Council member who represents the District and chairs Metro's budget committee. "But much more detail is required before we can act intelligently."

The latest fare proposals are smaller because Metro officials revised their forecast for next year's shortfall. Instead of $173 million, officials say, the budget gap will be $141 million. Of that, agency officials hope to generate slightly more than $100 million from fares. Metro officials hope to receive the remainder from the subsidies that local governments pay the agency.

Catoe has said he is pushing for a price increase early next year to ensure Metro has enough money to operate for the fiscal year that ends in June 2009.

Rider advocacy groups have criticized the decision-making process, the push to put a fare increase into effect so early and the lack of public input.