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Jan 9, 2007 7:34 pm US/Central
DART Considers Raising Public Transportation Rates
by Clif Caldwell
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Getting on board DART trains may cause you to dig a bit deeper come October. The DART Board is considering a fare increase.
The proposal is about as popular as a 5 car accident in rush hour.
"I don't have to sit in traffic, but if the cost keeps going up, I may as well sit in traffic," said DART rider Marshelle Dowling.
The current $1.25 a ride will go up to a $1.50. Instead of paying $40 for a monthly pass, you're going to need $50, and yearly passes will be $100 more.
Current and future expansion of the rail line are part of the reason for the proposed increases. DART Spokesperson Morgan Lyons says so are hi gas prices. "Certainly our costs have gone up, not just on rail but on all our services [like] diesel," he said.
Some board members hope to find savings elsewhere to hold off asking customers for more.
Some riders appreciate the effort to reduce routine rate hikes.
"We're getting beyond DART, but at some time if DART is going to raise stuff, we need to take everything else into consideration," DART rider Robert Doin said.
DART rider Suzanne Pollard believes the increase is reasonable. "You have to pay for it, and we're going to use it," she said.
Tuesday night the public will tell the board their feelings, but no vote is expected until spring.
(CBS 11 News)
