Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today. I am a resident of Pomona who commutes on the San Bernardino Line regularly to work.

While I am not happy about the 4% fare increase scheduled for July, I can understand the rationale. Expenses have been going up, while subsidies are staying flat or going down.

However, I have questions about the proposed 2005 fare restructuring. Staff has stated that fare increases will not exceed 8% per year under the Metrolink fare restructuring. To check the veracity of this statement, I inputted all of the current fare zones into a spreadsheet. I used the current Metrolink fare zone chart and calculated the number of zones between each station according to the chart.

I found that the fare jump from 2004 to 2005 could potentially be up to 55% for some riders. While some of the increases may not actually be the case, due to my interpretation of the fare zone map, others cannot be as easily explained away. For instance, a student catching a train to go from Cal State LA to Burbank Airport will pay 22% more effective July 1, 2005 to make that trip. (See attachment for examples of increases.) This is in contrast with the 8% maximum fare increase stated in literature handed to riders.

Creating the fare matrix by scratch also helped me understand how complicated the new fare structure is. Something that used to be included in the front pocket of every schedule is now expanded into a 32 page monster for the basic fare categories. With the off peak and senior/disabled fares, a total of 13,780 fares will need to be programmed. This is in sharp contrast to the 70 fares in the current fare system. When a new station is added, another 500 fares have to be calculated and inputted into every single fare machine in the system.

The sheer number of fares required is one reason why Metrolink has purchased new fare machines. Yet, the fare machines are showing glitches. At the February Operational Oversight Committee meeting, staff reported that the new fare machines are showing problems. Will introducing more fares exarcebate the technical issues with the machines? Will these issues be resolved in 12 months, without new issues occuring?

Certainly, the increase in the number in fares will cause passenger confusion. This new fare structure is unprecedented in all of commuter rail. No other commuter rail agency has chosen to embark on such a fare restructuring as Metrolink is planning on in 2005. Indeed, other commuter rail operators, such as CalTrain, have opted to reduce the number of zones, not increase them. In December, Metrolink received results of a Ridership Retention study that showed that Metrolink is losing riders almost as fast as it is gaining them. Increasing confusion with a novel fare system is not the way to arresting this trend.

A copy of the fare increase spreadsheets that I have calculated have been provided to Metrolink staff on a floppy disk. I have also provided one hard copy of the fare increase percentages to the clerk and posted the spreadsheets on our website.

I am requesting a copy of the TAC report and the consultant report where this fare structure was introduced. There is a lack of transparency in terms of how the fares are calculated. From my analysis, some of the fares seemed to be arbitrary. (See attachment.) What is the formula for calculating the new fares? The argument against the old zone fare system was that some jurisdictions were lobbying for zone placement that would lead to reduced fares for their riders. With this new system, similar concessions can still be made, and be less obvious to other riders.
Other shifts in behavior could occur that may not be obvious at first when the fare structure is implemented. Will there be extra demand on the shuttle from Burbank to Burbank Airport? Will more passengers choose to get off the train at Cal State LA instead of riding in to Union Station, and transfer to local transit there? There will be other implications to local transit that need to be addressed.

Speaking of the new fare machines, the disproportionate increase in ten trip fares is also a concern. Ten trip fares benefit people who cannot use Metrolink five days a week. Some people, like myself, only work four days a week. For us, the monthly pass is of no benefit if we can't use the train for even a couple of days a month. In addition, historically, fares for all other categories have been set based on the ten-trip ticket fare. Ten trip riders save time and decrease the lines at ticket machines for other riders. They also provide Metrolink a source of income, because some ten trip tickets are not fully used. By removing the financial incentive for passengers to use ten-trip tickets, infrequent riders will be inclined to use round trip tickets rather than ten trip tickets. This will increase lines at ticket machines, and will decrease the attractiveness of Metrolink to new riders, who might be lost forever if they miss a train while waiting to purchase a ticket.

Thus, an alternative that should be considered is creating smaller zones. Instead of 11 mile zones, a system with 7 or 8 mile zones could deliver many of the benefits of this fare restructuring, while reducing passenger confusion caused by such an expansion of zones. Another way of addressing the issue would be just to place the stations that do not conform to the zone structure in the correct zone.

Finally, Board members should be reminded that Metrolink does not operate in a vacuum. There are commuter buses that parallel many Metrolink lines, as well as carpools and vanpools which also provide environmental advantages over the single occupant vehicle. It should be Metrolink's goal to maximize ridership on the equipment provided. This will also help maximize revenue and the benefits to the community.

Based on my findings, I request that the Metrolink Board delay approval of the 2005 fare restructuring until staff and Board members have a chance to examine my comments. I trust that you will examine my concerns fairly. Thank you for your consideration.

• Between Oceanside and San Diego: $ 9.50 (NCTD Coaster)
  $10.50 (including proposed July 1, 2004 fare increase)
• Between Oceanside and Santa Ana: $13.75 (Metrolink)
  $14.25 (including proposed July 1, 2004 fare increase)
  $15.00 (including proposed July 1, 2005 fare increase)
• •Between Santa Clara and Livermore: $10.00 (Altamont Commuter Express)
• •Between Santa Clara and San Bruno: $11.00 (CalTrain)