Published Tuesday, April 8, 2003, in the San Mateo Independent

Caltrain changes zones, fares still troubling

Joint Powers Board moves ahead with new fare system but looks for
way to charge equitable distance-based fares

By Sara Zaske
Independent Newspapers

SAN CARLOS -- The Caltrain Joint Powers Board approved a massive
list of changes to the transit agency's fare system April 3 -- but
directed staff to devise a more equitable ticket-pricing program for
the future.

Starting in September, the 77-mile train system will switch to a
proof-of-payment system, requiring all passengers to purchase
tickets before boarding or face a maximum fine of $321.

This change entails a host of smaller adjustments to the system,
including a "day pass" replacing roundtrip tickets and an expiration
time on one-way tickets. After hearing concerns from riders, the
Joint Powers Board lengthened the expiration time from three to four
hours.

Caltrain is also undertaking another major adjustment in fare zones,
moving from a nine-zone system to six zones of equal length -- the
revision most heavily criticized by the public.

Betty Young, a physicist who regularly travels between San Carlos
and Santa Clara, says the zone changes will increase her Caltrain
ticket by 40 percent. "That's enough of a disincentive to keep me
from using the train," she said at the meeting.

According to Caltrain staff, the zoning shift is designed to
be "revenue neutral" and to impact the least amount of riders, with
less then 40 percent of trips receiving hikes, while roughly 60
percent of fares decrease or remain the same.

Whether directly impacted or not, many of the roughly 75 commuters
on hand to complain about the changes said the zone system was
inherently inequitable. Bay Rail Alliance, a train riders advocacy
group, called for an alternate distance-based fare system,
dubbed "point-to-point." The system, which is similar to that used
by BART, even gained a foothold among board members.

"Down the road, I would encourage staff, as we get more
sophisticated with computers, to look at the point-to-point," said
board member Arthur Lloyd. "We can do it. I think we have to look at
it in the long run."

The change in zones proposed by the transit agency created six
uniform 13-mile zones. However, according to Adrian Brandt of Bay
Rail Alliance [sic], Caltrain's revised zones contain many inherent
problems. "There are lots of inequities and weird unfairness in it,
depending on where you board," he said. "It is all based on where
you happen to live and where they draw these arbitrary lines."

Under the zone system, riders traveling just one stop, but crossing
into another zone, such as the 2-mile ride between Millbrae and San
Bruno, will pay the same fare as if they traveled two zones or 26
miles.

According to Caltrain statistics, the average rider travels 20 miles
or more. Only 33 daily commuters out of 14,000 make one-station,
zone crossing trips.

Chief Operating Officer Chuck Harvey said the new zone plan was
designed for simplicity and ease of understanding while a point-to-
point system would be confusing, especially to infrequent or new
riders. With Caltrain's 34 stations and 10 ticket types, he
estimated that a point-to-point fare system would create more than
5,500 different fare prices.

Maria Ayerdi, vice chair of the Joint Powers Board, said she feels
that the technology is available to make a point-to-point system
easier to use.

However, Harvey pointed out there was a financial barrier to
utilizing that technology because the current ticket vending
machines purchased just three years ago would have to be replaced.

After some discussion, the board approved staffs fare zone proposal
as presented, but with the stipulation to actively look to move to a
point-to-point fare structure in the future.


For a more information on Caltrain's new fare zones and proof of
payment system, call (800) 660-4287 or visit http://www.caltrain.com

Contact Sara Zaske at 650-652-6736 or <szaske@...>.


[BATN note: see the distance-based station-to-station which Caltrain
Operating Officer Chuck Harvey falsely claims would require ticket
vending machine replacement at: <http://adrianbrandt.home.attbi.com>]