EDITOR: I have been a regular Caltrain commuter for more than
four years from Morgan Hill to San Jose, or stations in between.
The current fare structure charges $18.75 for a two-zone, 10-ride
ticket, and $25 for a three-zone,10-ride ticket.
EDITOR:
I have been a regular Caltrain commuter for more than four years from Morgan Hill to San Jose, or stations in between. The current fare structure charges $18.75 for a two-zone, 10-ride ticket, and $25 for a three-zone,10-ride ticket.
The new fare and zoning structure will force me to purchase these same two- and three-zone tickets to go from Morgan Hill to either Capital or San Jose for $25.50 and $36.25, for an increase of 36 percent and 45 percent per 10-ride ticket for an increase of $7-$11 per week, or about $500 increase per year.
Is this equitable? No, this is highway robbery. In Caltrain’s words, from their website, “Caltrain is restructuring its fares in an effort to improve the ease-of-use and equitability of its fare structure. The improvements were developed over a nine-month period, which included focus groups and stakeholder interviews.”
More equitable? You tell me. A person getting on in Gilroy can ride 100 more miles per week on the same 10-ride ticket than someone getting on in Morgan Hill for the same price. Is this more equitable? Doesn’t look like it to me. If you want to raise your rates and decrease ridership, just say so. Don’t camouflage your price increase with zone and fare change equitability jargon.
If you really wanted to implement equitability, why don’t your charge per mile? People don’t ride from zone to zone, they ride from station to station, where the exact mileage is known. Setting a base price of say, 10 cents per mile and making all other ticket adjustments from there would be totally equitable.
Going forward, I will be riding Caltrain much less, if ever, and carpooling with other Caltrain riders on the soon-to-be-opened four-lane U.S. 101 freeway. I will get there quicker and it will be more cost effective. As other South Bay commuters analyze their options, they may also be taking to the 101 freeway more and Caltrain less.
A soon-to-be former rider.
Rick Ankiel, Morgan Hill
