Jiggers, if you are going to post something, at least try to be factually accurate. First, the fare increase proposal is from Sound Transit — it has nothing to do with Metro fares.
Second, the lead paragraph to the story states the actual reason for the proposed fare increase, “Sound Transit is considering fare increases this June and next June, to make riders pay a greater share of the cost of express buses.” The majority of the story then goes on to explain the other part of the proposal, namely to simplify the fare structure from 5 to 3 zones (to match the boundaries of the 3 counties ST serves). There is considerable detail on how the proposal could impact riders in different areas.
The last two brief paragraphs of the story mention the proposed fare zone changes in the context of the regional ORCA card, “Across the board, Sound Transit is trying to match what neighboring transit agencies charge, Tober said. Doing so would make it simpler to use the new ORCA smart card, which covers fares and transfers among seven local transit agencies.”
It would take too long to provide a coherent explanation of the context of the regional fare structure of 4 overlapping transit agencies and the ferry system and the fact that a huge number of riders’ trips involve two counties and/or two transit agencies.
The facts kinda put a different slant on the story, huh?
