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Metro's New Pricing System Creates Confusion Among Riders

August 30, 2010
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Metro is increasing fares by $0.20 at the peak of the morning rush hour.
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Metro is increasing fares by $0.20 at the peak of the morning rush hour.

By David Schultz

Metro is increasing its train fares again today, with a $0.20 surcharge during the peak of the morning rush hour. But determining how much a fare costs can be tricky.

With this new fare increase, there are now nine different times of day in which Metro charges different rates. For example, fares cost one price at 7 a.m., another at 8:00, another at 9:00 and yet another at 9:30.

That can be hard to decipher for some Metro riders, riders like Laura, who's inserting cash into a fare machine at the Tenleytown Station. Laura didn't give her last name, but she says Metro's fare scheme needs some simplifying.

"It's not simple, it's not easy," says Laura. "If you're not used to this, like someone coming from a rural area, it's horrible."

This is the final segment of Metro's new fare system, which was approved this summer to address a nearly $200 million funding gap.

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