STOP MARC SERVICE CUTS
On October 16, 2008, MARC announced proposed service changes and cuts to MARC trains and commuter buses, due to a budget shortfall.
Ironically, one reason that MARC has less money is that a major source of funding for MARC comes from gas taxes. With the price of gas so high recently, people drove less and used mass transit more. The result: less money for MARC.
Proposed MARC service cuts affecting Montgomery County riders are:
Cancel train P871 (1:45 pm from Union Station), except Fridays.
Cancel service on holidays and the days after Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Eliminate the ten-trip ticket.
(See the full list of cuts here:)
The cuts would take effect on January 17, 2009.
The apparent reason for the proposal to eliminate the ten-trip ticket is MARC’s perception that many Penn Line riders are taking advantage of overcrowded trains to ride fraudulently on ten-trip tickets, rather than buying weekly or monthly tickets.
ACT’s position is:
1. Given the increase in ridership, MARC should continue to provide services rather than cutting them, even if that requires a fare increase. (The most recent fare increase was in 2003.)
2.
MARC should continue to provide a discounted fare for regular but
non-daily riders, either through ten-trip tickets or a discounted
round-trip ticket. Eliminating the ten-trip ticket constitutes
a substantial fare increase which only the many legitimate ten-trip
ticket riders will have to pay. All other major commuter train
systems offer a ten-trip ticket. The ten-trip ticket is only a
problem on the Penn Line. MARC eliminated the discounted
round-trip ticket in favor of the ten-trip ticket in 2003..
3. If train P871 (1:45 pm from Union Station) is cancelled every day but Friday, then train P873 (3:35 pm from Union Station), which MARC lists as the transit alternative, should make all stops.
Your help is needed to stop these cuts!
These service cuts can only be stopped if the public speaks out. Please make your voice heard, in writing and if possible in person:
1. E-mail marc@mtamaryland.com , with “Hearing Comments” in the subject header or write to MARC at the following address:
Mr.
Glenn Litsinger
MTA Office of Customer Information
6 St. Paul
Street
Baltimore MD 21202
2. Come to one of these public hearings
Washington, D.C.: Monday, November 17, 2008, 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Metropolitan Washington COG
Training Center
777 North Capitol Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
Rockville: Monday, November 17, 2008, 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Council Office Building, Auditorium
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20852
Brunswick: Thursday, November 20, 2008, 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Brunswick City Hall
Second Floor Conference Room
1 West Potomac Street
Brunswick, MD 21716
Martinsburg: Monday, November 24, 2008, 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Martinsburg City Hall
J. Oakley Seibert City Council Chambers
232 North Queen Street
Martinsburg, WV 25401
Frederick: Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Winchester Hall
First Floor Hearing Room
12 East Church Street
Frederick, MD 21701
Join the Action Committee for Transit to support better transit in Montgomery County and surroundings. Send $10 annual dues to:
ACT
P.O. Box 7074
Silver Spring, MD 20907