Bus riders critical of higher fares

The announcement by the Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) to increase its bus fare prices has resulted in several angry and upset community members.

The increase, effective Jan 1. 1999, means fares jump from 35 cents to 50 cents per ride.

"Frankly, this rate increase is the pits as far as I’m concerned," said Bill Ostrander, Jr., who rides the bus several times per month. "I feel it is a burden to those who use the buses on a daily basis."

Ostrander is especially concerned about college students who live off campus who rely on the bus to get to classes or people who commute to work every day by bus.

Ostrander, 43, has written his concerns to The Bellingham Herald, the City Council and to the WTA.

"This is particularly bad if the distance is cross-town involving more than one bus, and no transfers are allowed," Ostrander, a bookkeeper, said. "The costs can really pile up."

WTA’s major ridership is commuters going to school and/or work; the elderly, the disabled; and youth. The majority of riders are younger individuals. Western Washington University students account for 30 percent of WTA’s ridership.

"I really think this puts WTA in a fatal cycle," Ostrander said. "Increasing bus fares will result in fewer riders which will in turn become the reason for higher rate increases to make up for the loss in bus fare revenues."

Ostrander said he will probably use the bus less often or he might purchase a bus pass if that will save him money in the long run. "I’ll just have to see how it goes. I might have to walk more."

The last time fares were increased was in 1994 when the cost of riding the bus went from 25 cents to 35 cents. Prior to 1994, fares had not been raised for 10 years.

Fare increases have been adopted for several reasons. The population is growing and costs in operations have increased due to expansions of service. The loss of value in the Canadian dollar is also a factor.

"I am offended that I am being asked to shoulder a burden created by a lack in ridership of Canadian citizens," said Linda Talley, a daily passenger of the WTA. "Where is the equity in that?"

Talley, who is medically disabled, said that within the next two years she will no longer be able to afford public transportation.

"Any prospect involving a decrease in the monies available to me is frightening," said Talley, who lives on an extremely tight budget because of her health expenses.

"My greatest reality will be, ‘do I buy a bus pass or pay my heating bill,’" she said. "This is a pitifully sad statement to make, and I fear I will not be alone in making it."

Talley, 40, suspects there will be general increase in ridership, but she also believes there will be a great decease in the community access of the elderly, disabled or impoverished.

"The percentage increase in fares collected from the aged and disabled will vastly outweigh the Social Security increase for cost of inflation," she said.

Talley, a writer and a poet, was also upset about how the increase was announced in the newspapers.

"I was angered that the public announcements concerning the increases were printed on papers in light shades of grey," she said. "I consider myself a fairly aware woman, yet these announcements went many days before gaining my attention."

"The truth is, WTA has made a decision, and based on this, I will lose something vital to my fundamental care," Talley said.

Jim Yanke, 72, agrees with Talley.

"If people can’t afford to ride now, how can they better afford to ride after the rate goes up?" said Yanke, who rides the bus six days a week. "Am I missing something?"

He says he will pay the new prices even though he is opposed to the increase.

According to WTA service development director Rick Gordon, the fare increase was necessary to keep the current level of service and routes after two years of little profit. The current operation costs of WTA cannot be met with the present revenues.

WTA projects annual revenues to increase by approximately 41 percent in 1999 as a result of the fare changes, according to the 1998 WTA fare policy report.

"It was not anticipated that we would see a groundswell of favorable comment about any fare increase," said General Manager Richard Walsh.

The fare policy states it charges fares for two reasons. Fares provide additional revenues to meet transportation needs in the community and fares instill a sense of ownership and value in its riders.

"They should not have increased the fares unless they are willing to do transfers," said Brenna Carr, who rode the bus for 12 years.

Carr, 25, stopped riding the bus when she figured out that it would only cost her $250 more a year to use her car rather than ride the bus.

"I do not think it was necessary, and I think they wasted a ridiculous amount of money of those frivolous new trolley cars," said Carr who refuses to pay the new amount.

Carr, a dietary aide, feels that the community responded very negatively to the increase. She said the city needs to spend more money on garbage cans, shelters for single mothers and benches and less on the new trolleys.

"Thirty-five cents is fair, but charging 50 cents is ridiculous," said Carr, who has started to walk more. "Think about it. I have to take four buses to and from work five days a week, and make minimum wage."

Another local resident, Minghong Song, said the increase will also hurt her financially.

"I have to pay whatever they require," said Song, a student from China. "If I rely on other modes of transportation, it will be more expensive."

Song said she will continue to ride the bus several times a day even though it will not be easy for her. "It’s also an increase in my very little income, but the WTA service is the best I’ve ever seen."

Margaret Bergstrom, a retired secretary, also feels the service is excellent and the increase doesn’t bother her one bit.

"Whatever it takes to maintain the good service, I will be happy to cooperate," she said. "I am sure our transportation system would be envied by any other town of similar size."

Bergstrom said she does not feel the fare increase is outrageous or that it will work any undue hardship on those dependent on public transportation. "I am sure it was necessary or it would not have been proposed."

Even though Bergstrom’s senior pass will increase from $8 to $10 a quarter, she said she will definitely continue to ride the bus. "Whatever the bus fare must be increased to to maintain service, I’ll be right there on the corner waiting to get on!"

She also said the bus pass is really a fantastic bargain, and she is not surprised to see it so widely used.

"We are encouraging people to use the passes, said Councilwoman Louise Bjornson at a public hearing in May. "It makes it more convenient for the rider and it cuts down on administrative costs, too."

However, Don Klatt, a driver who transports the disabled and elderly for WTA, has a couple objections to the fare increase.

He is worried that as costs go up, ridership will decline and WTA reportedly has the highest administrative costs of any transit agency in the state.

Klatt, 53, feels the community "passively accepted" the increase. "Most of us paratransit drivers generally look the other way when people don’t have the fare."

Klatt receives an employee pass, but he thinks there will be a slight decrease in the amount of people who frequently ride the bus.

WTA staff projects that the revised fare structure would result in only minimal impact on ridership with a decrease of between 5 to 12 percent. However, ridership is projected to increase after customers adjust to the higher fares.

According to Walsh, WTA fares, with the increase, will still be at half the national average and approximately the same level as the average state fare.

"WTA fares are among the lowest in the state, and although the increase in cash fares represents a 40 percent increase, the 50-cent cash fare is still quite low," he said.

The average cash fare collected in the state is 58 cents and the national average is 96 cents. The maximum fare charged was $1.10 at King County Metro (Seattle), $1 in Bremerton, 90 cents in Tacoma, 75 cents in Everett. Bus transportation is free in Island County.

"WTA is still considerably below the state average," said Glen Hallman, chairman of the Citizen’s Advisory Panel which represents the aging community. "And the service is very good compared to communities our size."

Hallman, 74, said he is willing to pay the new prices even though he rarely rides the bus.

"Many people in the community who don’t have to use the service think the fares are too cheap," he said. "But, those that do use the service don’t like the increase but will accept it."

Joni Hensley, 45, said the increase will definitely impact the already disadvantaged in the community.

"The ridership will decrease just at a time when it needs to be promoted," said Hensly, who rides the bus four times a week. "Commuter traffic in Whatcom County is awful."

Hensley, who attended the public hearing, is also concerned that people who are possibly considering using public transportation will use the increase as an excuse to keep driving their cars. "This is a real problem!"

• cash fares increase from 35 cents to 50 cents
• monthly passes go from $10 to $15
• 20 bus tokens will increase from $6 to $10
• annual pass increases from $100 to $150

• monthly youth pass at $10
• quarterly youth pass at $30
• quarterly standard pass at $45
• monthly pass for the elderly and persons with disabilities (starting at $4 per month and increasing to $7 per month by the year 2000)

"It’s a no-win situation," Ostrander said. "This just might result in these WTA clowns pricing themselves right out of business."