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posted 06/09/10 12:08 PM | updated 06/09/10 12:08 PM
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King County Metro Explores Buses Costing Like Cabs

By Michael van Baker
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Bus driving. It's easy work.

With King County Metro looking at a huge, hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars deficit over the next few years, everyone's donning their bean-counter hats. 70 percent of Metro's operating revenue comes from sales taxes, which have fallen off a cliff during the recession. Metro projects to bring in $700 million less than "normal" sales tax revenue between 2008 and 2013.

The solution? Cut costs and raise revenues, of course. As for the first part, it's almost time for Metro to renegotiate union contracts, and what better way to prepare the ground than to release incomplete and misleading information.

"Metro's high wage scale factors into its bus-service equation," is the headline over at helpful tool Crosscut. Author Doug McDonald, former secretary of transportation for Washington, refers to the news that Metro's top pay-rate for bus operators is among the top in the nation. (See the "More Information on Operating Program Expenses" pdf.) For perspective, what that means is that the highest salary you can make as a Metro bus driver is $59,000 per year. It's not the highest salary you can make at Metro.

According to Metro, all wages make up 44 percent of its operating costs, with benefits making up another 21 percent. Metro has one of the largest systems in the U.S., so it's not surprising that labor is a large portion--it has a fleet of 1,300 vehicles. I've asked for specifics on what the average bus operator makes, along with breakdowns of union and non-union costs. (Seattle Transit Blog was wondering the same thing and also hasn't heard back. These are basic questions, and not having the answers on hand makes you suspect obfuscation or incompetence, or both.)

Meanwhile, the transit task force is looking for ways to extract more cash from passengers. Ideas for 2011 include raising fares to $2.50-$3.00, eliminating off-peak discounts, and ending free transfers. A fare of $3.00 seems aggressive, in that Metro reports a cost-per-boarding of $3.67 and cost-per-passenger-mile of just 80 cents. In the documentation provided, there's no graph demonstrating price elasticity, and what would happen to ridership numbers with a $3 fare.

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Fare structure
We're already paying almost $3.00 for a peak, two-zone fare. What about eliminating peak/off-peak and zones? Make $2.50 the base fare (good for all times/distances) with $3.00 for cash fares. Eliminate paper transfers, but allow them for ORCA. Obviously, ORCA distribution would have to be expanded - but there are retail partners now, this program just needs to be expanded before incentives can be offered for encouraging ORCA use. Also, disposable, light-weight cards need to be introduced with day-passes. These options don't take a "task force" to come up with.

That having been said, I don't understand the headline. How are $3.00 fares anything like taxi pricing?
Comment by Rob
4 days ago
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RE: Fare structure
Depends on how far you plan to take the cab. For local trips, a $5 cab ride would compare pretty well with a $3 bus ride. Plus, if "eliminate free transfers" means what it looks like, a bus ride that's $2.25 today might cost $6.
Comment by Michael van Baker
4 days ago
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RE: Fare structure
Rob is correct. A $2 or $3 bus ride to the airport from downtown is cheaper than a $40 and change cab ride. MvB loses this battle.
Comment by Steve Winwood
4 days ago
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RE: Fare structure
Bus ride to the airport? You'd take the light rail, not the bus! MvB WINS!
Comment by Michael van Baker
4 days ago
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RE: Fare structure
MVB has to change the subject from the bus vs cabs to the light rail vs bus because he lost his own argument. This debate escape method is called the Triple Scooter Back Flip ninja swipe and it fools no one except maybe some amateurs.
Comment by Steve Winwood
3 days ago
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Metro Salaries - The $100K Club
" It's not the highest salary you can make at Metro."

Bingo.

Supervisors, managers, chiefs, planners and administrators at Metro (and really throughout King County government) enjoy extremely high compensation - many in the $85-$100K PLUS range. For some reason, the necessity of the number of these positions and their compensation levels are off the table for discussion at the County budgeting level - perhaps because so many of the folks presenting information to the County Council are themselves members of this "club".

Want to save some money at King County?
START AT THE TOP
The $100K Club
http://pstransitoperators.wordpress.com/2010/04/09/the-100k-
Comment by Jeff Welch
3 days ago
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Fare structure, salaries, and bingo
Fares. It seems reasonable to charge a premium charge for express, peak-only, and typically one-direction service, at least $1.00 more than local service that stops every block or two. And, I'd have the express fare the same all the time so as to discourage people from riding it a few stops to just before it gets on the freeway, i.e. uses it as a local service. Stops should be uniformly spaced in so far as possible; it's unbelievable how many routes have had their stops consolidated in the last several years, something that seems like it should've been done a long time ago in order to speed up routes. The same agency is planning a "rapid" ride system that, in the city of Shoreline, is stopping almost as much as a local route (see http://www.kingcounty.gov/transportation/kcdot/MetroTransit/).
Salaries. Excellent point. This is because they poll comparable others for their salaries, so whomever is leading the pack pulls up the rest of them, as the polling is an endless cycle. And, they typically get a COLA and a "merit" increase every year, which beats inflation substantially, and even the worst employee rises to the top of the salary range, depressing performance to the minimum-acceptable and tends to make them less responsive to the public. This is for non-union positions as well as unionized jobs. Many of the higher-ups get a car allowance and other perks that might include deferred earnings, travel to conferences, etc., none of which sees the light of day, but as they're publicly-funded, should be. Lastly, changing personnel policies is never part of the mix, never even thought of as excessive, but as a right. GIving something back is fought tooth and nail, thus having more layoffs and cutting service is their only option.
Comment by transitrider
3 days ago
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RE: Fare structure, salaries, and bingo
"they typically get a COLA and a "merit" increase every year"

Yes - and no.

Bus drivers according to contract have been getting a COLA each year (as have a lot of folks in private sector jobs), but they do not get a "merit increase every year". There is a graduated pay scale that rewards retention. It takes 6 years for a part-time Operator and 5 years for a full-time Operator to reach the top of that scale, after which there are no more step increases. Part time drivers in particular get no step increase (nor can they take any paid vacation time) until their third year of employment.

"even the worst employee rises to the top of the salary range"

Well no, the worst employee usually manages to get fired.
Comment by Jeff Welch
3 days ago
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Holy Crap
Seriously? Milk more money out of us? Don't be surprised when the most used routes stop being used so much. I've already begun walking one way into work everyday. And have gotten to the point where at least 2, if not 3, days I walk back home.

Why? Because paying $2.50 for 1.5 miles is a joke.

And no transfers? Then I'm really not paying diddly. Not at the speed these buses go. When I can walk UP Pike from downtown and beat my bus, why would I pay? Because of the rain? Have you smelled the bus when it's raining? Bad enough for me to save $2-3
Comment by TroyJMorris
2 days ago
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RE: Holy Crap
If you can walk don't complain about the fares if you ride. More room for me on the bus, I only go 3 miles but would have a hard time walking it. Maybe your bus goes slow bec. people like you only go 1.5 miles and has to stop and let people out. Take a cab whiner.
Comment by dan
8 hours ago
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