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Youth fare policy for Virginia Railway Express trains Date published: 11/21/2009
BY KELLY HANNON Children and young adults under 21 have another month to ride Virginia Railway Express trains at a discount, after the commuter service's governing board deferred a vote on limiting the half-price ticket program. The VRE Operations Board was slated to vote yesterday on whether to change the current youth fare policy, which allows children 6 and younger to ride free with a fare-paying adult, and youths ages 7 to 21 to ride for 50 percent of the full fare. Dale Zehner, VRE's chief executive officer, suggested raising the age for free rides to 10, but asking everyone 11 and older to pay a full fare. Large groups riding the VRE for field trips would still be eligible for discounts. On average, about 80 children and young adults ride the train every day, Zehner said, mostly to attend schools in Northern Virginia and Washington. In the summer, college students often ride the train to work, he said. Zehner estimated the change would save VRE $100,000 a year. VRE expects to receive $500,000 less this year in state operations funds, and Zehner said he was searching for ways to keep local subsidies level, which member communities have requested. Board members deferred a decision, citing a need for more information. When Zehner first presented the change this fall, fraud was mentioned as a factor in ending the policy, said board member Sharon Bulova, a Fairfax County supervisor. Bulova asked whether fraud was still a consideration. Not as much as cost, Zehner said. VRE recently strengthened verification practices for selling discount tickets for seniors and the disabled, and limited the number of vendors. Zehner told board members he felt youth fare fraud could be controlled. Fredericksburg City Councilman Matt Kelly, an Operations Board member, suggested deferring the vote, asking staff to present options for making up the $500,000 loss rather than looking at one item. "I do think we need to have this discussion in the context of the budget," Kelly said.
Date published: 11/21/2009
The only kids I've seen on VRE are having fun with their parents. It's a treat. Charge full-fare and the outings stop - meaning less revenue, not more. Adding a few more riders at any fare (even $1) increases revenue without increasing costs. Basic economics.
Since today's news is nothing more than nickels and dimes, wait until the big picture fall into place, when the Spotsylvania County BOS and their partners start asking us to pay for revamping Rt 17 and Rt 2 to accommodate traffic flow from the train station and paking lots to be constructed in the middle of TRICORDS Sumitt Crossing project; 5,900 additional housing and home sites plus the ressurection of TRICORD's "New Post" development project. Anyone out their know what "high density" populations look a
cont...only promises to "do their best" to keep and manage their yearly cost projections onto VRE members. With the State cutting back on VDOT dollars, and VRE facing an additional $500,000 State cutback and shortfall in their operations, guess who pays the difference?
Ask yourself, what's a promise worth, when it only pledges "to do its best." Take that to the bank and see what you get in return for cashing in a promise not worth the paper it's written on. You haven't seen anything yet....cont
VRE needs to recover yet another $100,000 per year, from its youth riders to make up for a $500,000 cut back on funding by the STATE OPERATIONS FUND, so as to keep local subsidies (Spotsylvania County's pledged budget dollars inder VRE Master Agreement) as level "as possible." So when the STATE cuts back on VRE money, participating and contributing "members" make up the difference under their budget promises to VRE and the fare increases being proposed today.
The VRE Master Agreement....cont
1st Lets not enocurage our kids to take public transportation and then teach them that the French can operate the trains better than Americans. Sounds like VRE management needs a check up from the neck up!
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