Bus Riders Union of Austin, Texas | El Sindicato de Pasajeros

Author's Note: Daily Texan editors mistakenly changed the name of the bus company to "Capitol Metro"

By Austin Van Zant
Daily Texan, student newspaper at the University of Texas at Austin
April 25, 2008

In order to attain the maximum amount of ridership, Capitol Metro must eliminate fares from all forms of transit that it offers: fixed and express routes, Special Transit Service (STS), vanpools and rail. Fare-free policy is a successful, proven method that addresses social, economic and environmental issues.

As the bus riders' union outlined in a proposal for free public transit on Earth Day, Capitol Metro planned for $6.7 million in fare collection in the 2008 fiscal year, not including the contract for the UT Shuttle. This represents roughly 3.3 percent of the over $200 million budget. However, industry standards show that transit systems spend two to seven percent of their operating expenses just counting the money that they collect, which means that Capitol Metro nets no more than $3.3 million per year in fares, using the most conservative figures available.

Under a fare-free system, certain expenditures would no longer be necessary. For example, in the past two years, the marketing department, which exists simply to promote the system, has seen its budget grow from a reasonable $1.8 million to $3.1 million. Since a fare-free system largely markets itself, we could cut marketing by $2.1 million and still leave enough to produce public service announcements addressing system education, information kiosks and other public relations-related materials. And with a fare-free system, the downtown Capitol Metro store would also be rendered obsolete since it exists primarily to sell bus passes. Closing this would not only save the system money but also free up valuable commercial/retail space in the core of Austin.

Our plan would also provide viable rebate programs for UT Shuttle and Special Transit Services (STS). Since the contract between the UT-Austin and Capital Metro pays for a premium service that provides 5-10 minute headways and efficient routes that are responsive to ridership needs, it must be maintained, but UT students would receive a rebate equal to what other area college students currently pay to board the bus. The UT Shuttle logs roughly six million boardings each year. Our plan would rebate $1.5 million to fee-paying UT students.

Our rebate plan for STS-eligible riders would actually make the system money. The cost per rider of the STS system is $43 per rider. Each time an STS eligible rider chooses a fixed route, CapMetro would rebate a portion of the savings to an account dedicated to funding accessibility improvements on buses, sidewalks and bus stops. The program would be overseen by independent monitors who are well-versed in the highly nuanced needs of the disability community. This plan would also further integrate disabled passengers with other fixed route riders.

The net economic benefit of our plan, after costs are analyzed, would be $2.6 million. And this does not include the hundreds of millions of dollars in recovered productivity - the time that Austinites will spend being productive instead of sitting in traffic. Nor does this figure include the hundreds of millions of dollars in kept highway funds currently jeopardized by our recent drop into the EPA's "non-attainment" air quality status.

The key to success of the fare-free policy would be the intelligent allocation of funds freed up by the plan. Capitol Metro's expressed goal is improving the current system, so it is only logical that improvements respond to strong ridership gains with higher bus frequencies. Fare-free policy also affords other benefits, including a faster, more efficient system. During the first fare-free period in Austin from 1989-90, we saw improved on-time performance and a lowered cost per rider (the best measurement of system efficiency).

The pros of fare-free policy far outweigh the cons, but we still carefully address the drawbacks in our proposal. Many Austinites recall the first fare-free period and cite the higher number of unruly passengers as a negative experience, but research shows that security incidents did not significantly increase with ridership gains. Further, reports of passengers abandoning the system because of unpleasant experiences were far outnumbered by those who left simply because of a recent acquisition of a car or change of address. Regardless, a solid security protocol is in order to ensure that bus riders do not use the bus as their personal hotel room. For example, a limit of one tour, on one route, end to end could be enforced.

All in all, fare-free policy is a sensible solution to traffic and air quality woes that makes dollars and sense. The bus system would gain money from our proposed measures, the city would improve, and if the previous fare-free period is any indication, four out of five Austinites - bus riders and car drivers alike - would support it. With this support, it is time that Capitol Metro take a step forward as a national leader in transportation. Read the proposal online at www.busatx.org.

Austin Van Zant is a UT alumnus and member of the Bus Riders Union of Austin.