: News

Metro Board Raises Bus, Train Fares

Play associated audio
After months of budget deliberation, Metro's Board of Directors passed a sweeping package of fare hikes. But they rejected making any reductions to Metro's service.
David Schultz
After months of budget deliberation, Metro's Board of Directors passed a sweeping package of fare hikes. But they rejected making any reductions to Metro's service.

By David Schultz

It's soon going to cost more to take Metro after the transit agency's Board of Directors passed a historically large fare increase. Starting late next month, taking a Metrobus will cost $1.50 for those using smart trip cards, and a $1.70 with cash.

Fares on Metro trains are a little more complicated. They'll be increasing by $0.25 during evenings, weekends and mid-days, $0.30 cents during rush hour, and $0.50 cents during the peak of rush hour from 7:30 to 9 in the morning and from 4:30 to 6 in the evening.

The good news is, there won't be any reductions in service. Jim Graham, a Board member who represents D.C., says balancing Metro's budget that way would have sparked outrage.

"People would find intolerable the idea that there would be a fare increase and also less service provided," says Graham.

Instead, Board Members opted to move $30 million from Metro's capital budget into its operating budget. That didn't sit well with Cathy Hudgins, a Board Member from Fairfax County, Virginia. She says this is like robbing Peter to pay Paul.

"With this budget, we will be creating a larger possibility of a deficit in a 2012 budget," says Hudgins.

In the end, the Board approved the fare hikes unanimously. They'll take effect Sunday, June 27th.

NPR

Christine Ha: From MasterChef To Home Kitchen

When Christine Ha won MasterChef in 2012, she blew the reality TV show judges away with her Vietnamese influenced cooking. But what really impressed viewers was that she had total control in the kitchen, even though she's blind. Host Michel Martin speaks to Christine Ha about her new cookbook Recipes from my Home Kitchen.
NPR

Growing Vegetables From Seeds Take Root For Many Gardeners

More and more gardeners are bypassing the local nursery and instead starting their veggies from seed. Seeds are often cheaper and they give growers a bigger choice of varieties. At a community garden in Venice, Calif., students learn the ins and outs of gardening from scratch.
NPR

Decades Of History Behind IRS Flap

Host Michel Martin looks into why some non-profits are tax exempt, and how something like the recent IRS flap could happen. She speaks with David Cay Johnston, a columnist for Tax Analysts and reporter Brentin Mock of Colorlines.com.
NPR

Yahoo To Buy Tumblr In An Attempt To Revitalize Itself

Yahoo is expected to announce Monday that it's acquiring the social media site Tumblr, in a deal The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets are reporting to be worth about $1.1 billion. Some analysts are calling the acquisition an effort by Yahoo to be "cool and relevant" again.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.