On Wed, 05 May 2004 23:02:46 -0400, etent
(Trudi Marrapodi) wrote:

But how do you do that? By telling people they don't have to pay subsidies
if they take the bus? Is that enough, really?

No, not for a lot of people that don't work 'normal' hours. In the
Washington, DC area service deteriorates dramatically if you work
late. Missing a late bus or train can cost you an hour or more
(especially MARC trains out of Union Station). And the commuter
support services (ability to call in an occasional special support
ride) assume that you will be unable to keep a normal schedule one or
two days a month. I have weeks worse than that.

Used to use MARC, tried to use Metro. Both cost more and took at least
an hour more a day when things went well. Missing a MARC train could
turn a slightly long day into getting home after 9:00 pm. A bad day
could cost you a couple of hours on top of a long day to begin with.

My final conclusion was that the DC Metro is an expensive solution
that is designed to support the city and MD and VA only to the suburbs
around the stations. They make it expensive and time-costly to use if
you live beyond that area and aren't a nine to fiver.

IOW, move into the city or drop dead if your job has any demands at
all. Personally, since it works best for the city and near 'burbs and
the government workers, I'm finally moving to the side of those that
think they should be the ones to subsidize it.

Curtis L. Russell
Odenton, MD (USA)
Just someone on two wheels...