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.
Arlington County representative Chris Zimmerman, chairman of the board, said the youth fare policy could spur children and teens to be lifelong public transit users. Today's youths may choose to ride VRE to work later in life, Zimmerman said.
The postponement was welcomed by Fredericksburg resident Karen Vossenberg, who wanted her children to attend single-sex Catholic high schools, unavailable in the Fredericksburg area.
Her son rode the train every day from Fredericksburg to attend Gonzaga College High School in Washington until he graduated this year. Her daughter currently attends Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School, and rides the train home every evening after riding a bus and Metro to reach VRE's Alexandria station.
Vossenberg said she is "totally grateful" to VRE for the reduced fare and the train service. Without the train, she said, transportation
Parents would be willing to buy tickets at Northern Virginia vendors if it would cut down on fraud, she said.
"Don't eliminate the program, fix the fraud," Vossenberg said.
VRE received 94 public comments on the proposed youth fare change from late September to early November. About 70 percent of the comments were in favor of keeping the policy as-is, and 30 percent were in favor of the changes, Zehner said.
The VRE board's next meeting is Friday, Dec. 18.
Kelly Hannon: 540/374-5436
Email: khannon@freelancestar.com
Spotsylvania County has cleared all but one hurdle as it moves closer to becoming a member of Virginia Railway Express effective Monday, Feb. 15. The boards of the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission have approved all agreements related to Spotsylvania's membership in VRE. Also, Virginia's secretary of the commonwealth has certified the agreements. The last procedural requirement is for the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors to read the certification into meeting minutes. |