Gauging public support: Seniors critical of proposed elimination of certain fares

Senior citizens may lose their across-the-board discounted DART tickets under a new fare plan proposed by the transit provider. If approved, the new fares would go into effect Dec. 3.

The reduced-fare day passes, which currently cost $2 and are good at any time, would now be relegated to the off-peak hours of 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Under the new fare plan, a full-day pass would cost $5, a 150 percent increase for seniors. The proposal struck a chord with several Plano residents who attended a public meeting held by DART Monday night at Plano City Hall.

"It looks to me like you are simply taking reduced people's money and giving it to day pass people," said Stan Leonard. "... You are not allowing your seniors to travel when they might have to or want to. You are restricting them in every sense of the word."

Leonard noted that the seniors paying to use DART are many of the ones who approved the organization's formation in the early 1980s, choosing to raise their own taxes to pay for the infrastructure which they now use. His feelings were shared by several other men and women attending the meeting, who felt the senior and student discounts should remain, with the loss of revenue made up through other means.

"What you need to concentrate on -- not that I am an expert, but I have eyes and travel DART four or five times a day -- is the fare enforcement people who are not giving tickets," Leonard said, adding that he felt DART was inexpensive and a very good deal. "I personally know of one man who has nearly $8,000 in fare evasion tickets and they will not allow him to sit it out in jail or give him community service. I feel it is unfair to put this all on the active customer base you have."

The proposed fare increase won't be finalized until late August, but the DART board will hold a public hearing at its Dallas headquarters on June 26 to gain input on the proposal. In addition to the Plano meeting, 17 other meetings were held throughout DART member cities to gain citizen input.

Katina Vaughan, a financial manager with DART, said the organization is meeting its federal requirements with the reduced fares.

"The Federal Transit Administration mandates agencies to provide a 50 percent discount to seniors and disabled [people], but their category only says for off-peak services," Vaughan said, adding there was nothing in the mandate to prevent offering discounted rides at all times. "I understand where you are coming from having to travel from one place to another, especially for your doctor's appointments, but what we were trying to do with the new fare structure is follow the mandate."

Vaughan said the fare increase was necessary due to the continued construction of the Orange and Blue lines, as well as the move to smarter, compressed natural gas buses. She said DART has also hired additional security officers to ride on trains to increase rider safety. Vaughan said DART hopes the new fares will also be easier to understand and be more rider friendly.

"We are trying to simplify [fares] by eliminating the local [passes] and having only regional and system passes," Vaughan said. "We are going to simplify it for riders so they know exactly what kind of pass they need. We have expanded services and you can ride on the A Train, the DART system and in Fort Worth."

In 2003, the cost of a daily pass increased from $2 to $2.50. Under the new plan, the basic daily pass would cost riders $5, up from its current price of $4. DART plans for periodic fare increases, Vaughan said, but sometimes outside factors cause fares to be adjusted more often than originally planned.

"Every five years in DART's financial plan there is a scheduled fare increase," Vaughan said. "Based on that, the next increase would not be until 2018, but that has to be approved by the board and although it is scheduled, it doesn't mean the board will approve it. We did do an increase in 2007 and then a phased increase in 2009 and 2010 because of the economic downturn and the rising cost of fuel prices. Agencies across the nation have had a fare increase due to that. Between now and 2018, if we don't have another economic downturn, we will not have a fare increase."

Not all fares are increasing. Currently, daily passes that include Express Bus Service, cost $7. Under the proposed plan, express service will be lumped in with the $5 daily pass. This is potentially good news for Plano residents who use Route 210, an express bus which runs from Plano to Downtown Dallas.

Chris Walters, a customer affairs representative for DART, was on hand to record all comments made at the meeting and said he would present them to the board of directors.

"What I try and tell people is that everything you say and do can make a difference," Walters said. "Some people may think no one cares about what they have to say, but really DART does care and things can change because of what you have to say."

Tuesday's public hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. at DART Headquarters,1401 Pacific Ave. in Dallas.

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