Comments on: notes from an imperfect utopia

By: david vartanoff

david vartanoff — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:16:08 +0000

There WAS a Bart Plus which was an all you can eat AC, Muni, and VTA plus various levels of Bart usage. But AC gave riders the finger three years ago and quit. Meanwhile Bart persists in its complex and hostile fare structure.

By: Gary Morris

Gary Morris — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 23:13:36 +0000

My question about transit in SF (and East Bay) is why in the hell have they never been able to come up with a single, reasonably priced monthly pass that includes all the various systems, or at least Muni, AC Transit, and BART. The idiot in charge of technology at BART has stated how “complicated” this would be, but other cities (including London) seem to be able to manage it. It’s just appalling that public transit is so damned expensive. I lived in the East Bay for 12 years, then moved to Portland, Oregon for the last 6, and am contemplating coming back to the East Bay, but the level of incompetence (probably based on patronage hires and corruption, like so much of SF) down there on issues like this is giving me pause. So much for the Bay Area’s much-vaunted image as a center of high-tech “thinkers.”

By: John Koktosin

John Koktosin — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 06:43:33 +0000

A much better strategy would be for them to apply the money to give further discounts to actual commuters who purchase big Bart tickets all at once. Or, they could have discounted fares on spare the air days (though I think that would be harder to administer).

I actually think that the free fare days push people *away* from transit, since their initial experience with it on the free day is so awful.

By: Robert Raburn

Robert Raburn — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 22:11:10 +0000

We agree that the value of the program is unproven.

After three consecutive weekdays of unhealthy levels of air pollution (June 21-26) depleted the funds for free transit at a very early date in the smog season, I reported to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission on June 28 on discussions from the East Bay Bicycle Coalition list server. Many members questioned the sustainability of the current spending program to improve air quality, and raised the notion that offering free transit actually induces some motorists to drive on less congested freeways. As a solution to these problems, we suggested implementing Spare the Air bridge-toll increases to discourage driving and fund free transit.

Too bad the MTC did not listen before extending the expenditure for another three days. Now the Bay Area has gobbled up over $13 million for the program, and there are now neither funds left for free transit, nor effective deterrants to driving. All but the pollution has evaporated!

By: Joel B.

Joel B. — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 20:49:05 +0000

This is kind of why I see “Free Transit” as a good representation of why “Cheaper Transit” is really the way to go. It is the way of the world that BART, ACE, Capital Corridor, and the rest (although mostly BART) that Transit gets more expensive. And the price keeps going up. $10 is a lot of money to get between San Francisco and back from Dublin. Now maybe $5 round-trip would be a lot more appealing. Of course, this all gets back to the parking problem from earlier, but really…I think overall cheaper transit would be beneficial all around.

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:58:48 +0000

“When the Fremont train arrived, it too was jam-packed. We all tried to get on the train, and the operator closed the doors on us! I realize that they are on a schedule, but bruising your passengers arms isn’t very nice!”

It’s hard for me to imagine it was entirely the BART operator’s fault in this case. When I’ve been on a train that was completely full, which has happened several times, the operators have made multiple announcements telling people to move away from the door. Reasonable passengers tend not to try to crush onto the train at that point. I don’t know what happened in this case, but if the complainer above tried to dash in without hearing an announcement, or pile in after that announcement was made, it’s their own damn fault.

“An air district official responded, paradoxically, that if commuters dont like some of the negatives of free transit, they should try transit that isnt free.”

I don’t find this paradoxical at all.

The negatives of free transit are mitigated when transit is not free. The main drawback of free transit is the overcrowding. When transit is not free, there are fewer passengers, making it nicer for those who are using it.

I’m not sure what the other negatives might be, though….

By: Robert Kelley

Robert Kelley — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:25:53 +0000

It’s not FREE TRANSIT. It’s just paid for by other people. By sales taxes. Property taxes. State income taxes.

If everyone you’ve talked with believes “free transit” is a good idea , then you’ve only talked to people on your public transportation lines. You need to speak with people who are footing the bill.

Bus lines and trains should be economically self-sufficient and not an attempt to force one’s views on others. For many people, buses and trains are not viable alternatives at all for
a variety of reasons. And these are choices that each individual must make for themselves. It’s not your place to force your lifestyle onto others. If you want to ride a bus or a train, go for it. But don’t force others to pay for your choice. And don’t force others to live your lifestyle.

AC Transit has existed for decades and the bus lines of southern Alameda County have miniscule ridership. Check out the AC Transit web site and you can see the statistics. It’s not your place to FORCE people to live YOUR lifestyle. Why not let people CHOOSE FOR THEMSELVES?