by Nadiah Rodriguez
Once 2009 officially kicks off, the era of the paper bus transfer will be over. No longer will bus drivers award passengers with a smile and a transfer, and the machines dispensing rail-to-bus passes in metro stations across the area will soon be a faded memory.
Come Jan. 4, Ride On transit services will adopt the practice of the Washington Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and offer riders a discounted rate on bus-to-rail transfers. Another perk of the new system is that the current two-hour time period a typical transfer is good for will be increased to three hours. This will also give passengers extra time to get the full benefit of their transfers.
Also, because metro, Ride On and metrorail are all participating in this arrangement, the flexibility afforded when traveling across regions will increase convenience for the average passenger.
For passengers who have grown accustomed to paper transfers, Ride On plans to entice them with new incentives in the hope of not only increasing the use of public transportation, but to get "old school" passengers to ease into the future of SmarTrip.
Although passengers will be strongly encouraged (or gently forced) to use the SmarTrip, it is not to say those without the transit card will not gain entry onto the bus. Cash will still be readily accepted, but using cash just will not obtain any free rides once the bus of origination is departure.
Despite the discount is meager, it is definitely better than nothing. Ride On has stated that passengers transferring from bus to rail will get 50 cents deducted from the total amount of their trip.
Being a customer of Ride On for many years now, I see this situation as both a blessing and a curse. While it may be true that Ride On is offering a percentage off to those exiting the bus and heading off to metrorail travel, I can only wonder if it plans to add the extra 50 cents to something else. And if so, where? Will it be added to the cost of buying a SmarTrip, raising the total to $5.50? Or maybe the bus fare goes up slightly. Perhaps it will be a joint effort between WMATA and Ride On and the rush hour metrorail fares will increase yet again. Before I can jump up and pat the institution of public transportation on the back, I must know how much this will cost me in the long run.
I think it is a semi-nice gesture. Semi because the discount and the length of time a transfer is valid could be a little better, but I do understand that Ride On was not obligated to do anything at all.
Passengers will not be the only ones to "save" money. The transferless system will save Ride On hundreds of thousands of dollars in paper transfer costs. Expected is the elimination of altercations between bus drivers and passenger over fares paid, transfer longevity, etc. Transfer fraud and abuse, is also proposed to be eliminated, saving the Ride On administration from the heartache of documenting such incidents in an avalanche of paperwork, ultimately decreasing the money spent on paper.
When you look at the glass with innocent optimism and see it as half full, it seems as if everyone benefits from the transportation proposal. Unfortunately, only time will reveal to passengers the fine printed terms and restrictions of the upcoming changes. We all will have to just wait and see.
Once 2009 officially kicks off, the era of the paper bus transfer will be over. No longer will bus drivers award passengers with a smile and a transfer, and the machines dispensing rail-to-bus passes in metro stations across the area will soon be a faded memory.
Come Jan. 4, Ride On transit services will adopt the practice of the Washington Area Transit Authority (WMATA) and offer riders a discounted rate on bus-to-rail transfers. Another perk of the new system is that the current two-hour time period a typical transfer is good for will be increased to three hours. This will also give passengers extra time to get the full benefit of their transfers.
Also, because metro, Ride On and metrorail are all participating in this arrangement, the flexibility afforded when traveling across regions will increase convenience for the average passenger.
For passengers who have grown accustomed to paper transfers, Ride On plans to entice them with new incentives in the hope of not only increasing the use of public transportation, but to get "old school" passengers to ease into the future of SmarTrip.
Although passengers will be strongly encouraged (or gently forced) to use the SmarTrip, it is not to say those without the transit card will not gain entry onto the bus. Cash will still be readily accepted, but using cash just will not obtain any free rides once the bus of origination is departure.
Despite the discount is meager, it is definitely better than nothing. Ride On has stated that passengers transferring from bus to rail will get 50 cents deducted from the total amount of their trip.
Being a customer of Ride On for many years now, I see this situation as both a blessing and a curse. While it may be true that Ride On is offering a percentage off to those exiting the bus and heading off to metrorail travel, I can only wonder if it plans to add the extra 50 cents to something else. And if so, where? Will it be added to the cost of buying a SmarTrip, raising the total to $5.50? Or maybe the bus fare goes up slightly. Perhaps it will be a joint effort between WMATA and Ride On and the rush hour metrorail fares will increase yet again. Before I can jump up and pat the institution of public transportation on the back, I must know how much this will cost me in the long run.
I think it is a semi-nice gesture. Semi because the discount and the length of time a transfer is valid could be a little better, but I do understand that Ride On was not obligated to do anything at all.
Passengers will not be the only ones to "save" money. The transferless system will save Ride On hundreds of thousands of dollars in paper transfer costs. Expected is the elimination of altercations between bus drivers and passenger over fares paid, transfer longevity, etc. Transfer fraud and abuse, is also proposed to be eliminated, saving the Ride On administration from the heartache of documenting such incidents in an avalanche of paperwork, ultimately decreasing the money spent on paper.
When you look at the glass with innocent optimism and see it as half full, it seems as if everyone benefits from the transportation proposal. Unfortunately, only time will reveal to passengers the fine printed terms and restrictions of the upcoming changes. We all will have to just wait and see.
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