By Lena H. Sun and Mark Berman
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Higher fares kicked in for rush-hour Metrorail passengers yesterday, but despite unhappiness about rising costs, many said they would continue riding because driving is more expensive and aggravating than commuting on the subway.

Still, on the first weekday of the largest fare and fee hikes in Metro's history, several commuters said crowded trains and increases in delays and disruptions were making them think twice about riding.

"I would hope that with this increase, they're able to manage their budget better and increase service levels," said Steve Lott, 31, a communications executive from Fairfax, who rides from Vienna to Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter on the Orange Line. Lott said he has been riding Metro for 10 years, and the last year was his worst as a rider. "I guess I'm going to give it six months, to see if service improves."

Dawn Morehouse, 37, who commutes from Silver Spring to Farragut North on the Red Line, said she would prefer taking the train, but she is going to try driving for the next two weeks to see "how it works out financially and mentally." Her employer, Oracle, provides free parking.

Metro officials said it will be several months before they know what effect the fare and fee increases will have on long-term ridership.

Passengers who park and travel longer distances during rush hour pay the largest increases. Daily parking charges increased 75 cents, and some parkers were surprised to find that coin-operated meters near some Metro stations also cost more, up to $1 an hour.

For some Metrobus riders, the new fare system brought an extra unwelcome surprise. A computer programming glitch caused bus riders paying with electronic SmarTrip cards to be overcharged when transferring to other buses and from the rail system. Bus-to-bus transfers within two hours are supposed to be free, and rail-to-bus transfers are supposed to be 35 cents. But passengers using their SmarTrip cards were being charged the full bus fare of $1.25, officials said.

Metro officials apologized yesterday and said the error was to be fixed on most of its 1,500 buses by yesterday's afternoon rush hour and completely fixed by today's morning rush. Metro officials said about 60,000 riders were affected. Metro will give refunds to all who were overcharged Sunday, when the fare increases went into effect, and yesterday. More than 1.2 million passengers ride Metrorail and Metrobus daily.

Shantice Bates, 23, was one of the unlucky riders who was overcharged when she transferred buses. The Alexandria resident decided a few weeks ago to switch from taking a combination of bus and rail to taking only buses to her job at Dupont Circle because the higher rush-hour train fares meant paying an additional $50 a month, she said. By taking three buses, she figured she could save almost $60 a month.

Metrobus fares remain $1.25 for passengers paying with SmarTrip cards; the fare is up a dime for cash-paying customers. By contrast, rush-hour Metrorail fares have increased 30 to 75 cents per trip.

Bates's new all-bus route takes 15 to 30 minutes longer, she said. But avoiding the crowded trains "saves me a whole lot of stress, because there's never room to sit down and I was always upset when I got to work," she said.

The exception was yesterday, when she was charged triple the amount she should have paid.