Metro's board convened on Thursday to address a fare hike proposal for the upcoming year, with most members agreeing that an increase is essential to keep pace with inflation.

Read More

The transit agency indicated that fares likely need to rise as it faces challenges with fare evasion among riders. Metro emphasized the importance of holding riders accountable for paying their fares.

"Costs are going up faster than revenue," said Metro General Manager Randy Clarke, noting significant increases in fuel prices and energy consumption, highlighting that the agency is the largest power consumer in the region.

Clarke was asked if alternative funding sources could be identified, to which he replied, "Do you have a place where you’d like to find that money?" He affirmed that the agency is actively working to manage cost growth.

Fare enforcement is a pressing issue, with Metro reporting that from January to July this year, enough fare evasion citations were issued to potentially yield $600,000 in fare revenue, but only $96,000 of that amount was actually collected. The agency is considering whether non-transit police employees or selected community members should assist in issuing citations.

Board member Darien Flowers raised a question regarding potential collaborations with other law enforcement personnel for fare enforcement.

In addition to the fare hike proposal, Metro is exploring the possibility of offering free rides to young riders aged 5 to 18 in the D.C. metropolitan area, a program already in place in D.C. but not in Maryland or Virginia. Concerns about adult misuse of youth passes were brought up, with Board member Tracy Loh querying the consequences if an adult were to improperly use a child's pass.

The board acknowledged that more time is required to resolve these issues.

A proposed fare increase of roughly 11% is being considered, which would adjust current fare prices from between $2.25 to $6.75 to a new range of $2.50 to $7.50.

Before any adjustments are finalized, the board plans to refine the details and solicit public feedback on the fare hike proposal, which could take effect as early as July.

Metro aims to implement smaller, manageable fare increases over time rather than larger, unpredictable hikes.