How is this possible? Bus fares over 2 dollars?

[Al B. Sure!]

The South-Eastern Pennsylvania Transit Authourity (SEPTA) has the highest rates in the entire country at $1.60 a one-way bus ride... and if you don't have exact change or a token, you got to pay a full two dollars.

It's also a horribly inefficient system, generally rated one of the worst transit systems in the country.

Yet amazingly, SEPTA has just announced that they will be further cutting back on service AND increasing rates...

How in God's name is this possible?!

[Apocalypse]

Ummm, it's like twice that in Houston.

[Pekka]

Oh that's still cheap. Busses here.. it's cheaper to drive own car, and gas in here is ~1.10 dollars per liter. 1.10 dollars times 3.8 gives you the price in gallons. And it still is cheaper to drive own car.. depends where you live though.

[JohnT]

$4.18 per gallon, for those of you who don't want to do Pekka's maths.

I can't remember the last time I was in a bus. Well, well over a decade ago, that's for sure - probably the campus busses at U. of Georgia.

[Sava]

In the 60's, bus rides in Chicago were around 15 cents... and by applying that value to the rate of inflation, things have gotten a lot more expensive. But that's to be expected in a capitalist society where everybody's out to make a buck.

[Pekka]

JohnT, Yep.. they also threatened to raise the price of one liter to 2 euros if the war in Iraq starts! They we would just have to declare war on you

[Inverse Icarus]

it's whitey trying to keep you people from moving around, DUH

[St Leo]

How in God's name is this possible?!

It's capitalism running wild. They are either receiving insufficient funding from the various government levels or they have been privatised.

The only transit system in the world to make money is the one in Hong Kong and that's due to them not having room to waste on intentionally-inefficient suburbs.

[Imran Siddiqui]

$4.18 per gallon, for those of you who don't want to do Pekka's maths.

It's capitalism running wild. They are either receiving insufficient funding from the various government levels or they have been privatised.

How is it capitalism running wild when it is a fully public system? Recieving insufficient funding has nothing to do with 'captialism running wild'.

[JohnT]

at Leo and Sava. But, then, what else would my response be.

For some actual help, Speer, come to me. A bit of Googling will make you aware that SEPTA is having public hearings on April 22-25 at various locations. For further info, check out: http://www.septa.org/notices/anserv03.htm

Is SEPTA privatized?

[JohnT]

Listen to this, Imran, and figure who in this thread is speaking out of ideology and not facts:

"State operating subsidies have increased only
two of the past eight years. If there had been an annual inflationary increase of approximately 3% each year, as requested, this crisis might have been avoided. Exacerbating the historical lack of funding is the recently signed FY 2004 state budget that further reduces subsidies by an additional 6% -- or $15 million. SEPTA’s state operating subsidy level is at a 1996 level, while we have put approximately 10% more service out since
that year."

http://www.septa.org/news/20030402-20030731-18812.html

(I gather from the use of the word "subsidies" that it is "privatized". )

[GePap]

Does the $1.60 include transfers to other bus lines or the subway? If so, then things are still cheaper than Chicago ($1.50 fare plus 30 cents for 2 transfers) . If not, yeah, your screwed, but not for long. In may, fares in NYC go to $2 a ride.

[Asher]

Busses here are $50CDN for a 4-month term of school, unlimited use of both the trains and busses...

[C0ckney]

come to live in somerset (or, more accurately, don't), £5 adult return to the nearest town. use public transport instead of my car, not bloody likely.

[Timexwatch]

DC Metro, suckers! $1.10 to my internship and $1.10 back.