Bacon's Rebellion

CARS AND METRO

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by

James A. Bacon
in

If one wants to understand why METRO is not meeting its potential as shaper of functional human settlement patterns or why citizens have not given METRO a dedicated source of revenue, look no farther that the story in today’s The Washington Post.

In February of 2005 METRO announced that as of 1 July it is reducing the number of staff who have a car provided and free parking from 135 to 49.

How could this condition be allowed to exist by the Chief Executive, the Board or a janitor when service is being cut and fares raised? The fact that it does exist indicates a culture that is oblivious to its mission.

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  1. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    http://www.terrapass.com/

  2. Jim Bacon Avatar
    Jim Bacon

    Oh, that’s sweet — the METRO giving company cars to employees as a perk!

    Hey, guys, how about this? Try giving FREE METRO PASSES as a perk, ya damn dummies!

  3. Paul Avatar
    Paul

    And you have members of the metro board, when asked by the media, scoffing at the notion of actually using the metro.

  4. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Recently one of my office mates arrived at work after riding Metro (and being delayed again). His observation was that Metro was just about tapped out, and he didn’t see how it could support much more in the way of riders.

    At the same time, half the cars are riding around empty or mostly empty, because they have to go back out to fill up again.

    This suggests why Metro can never make money and also why it is not needed. One way to fill up the empty cars would be to move jobs out to the terminal stations.

    But if there were jobs in the boonies we wouldn’t need Metro!

    Ray Hyde
    Delaplane, VA

  5. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Recently one of my office mates arrived at work after riding Metro (and being delayed again). His observation was that Metro was just about tapped out, and he didn’t see how it could support much more in the way of riders.

    At the same time, half the cars are riding around empty or mostly empty, because they have to go back out to fill up again.

    This suggests why Metro can never make money and also why it is not needed. One way to fill up the empty cars would be to move jobs out to the terminal stations.

    But if there were jobs in the boonies we wouldn’t need Metro!

    Ray Hyde
    Delaplane, VA

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