Daily Herald opinion: Metra riders should prepare for changes in fare structures
This editorial is a consensus opinion of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.
Come August, Metra riders may face fare structures that are easier to understand than those in place now and will cost no more - and in some cases even less - than they're paying now.
The idea, as our transportation and projects writer Marni Pyke has written, is to streamline the purchasing process both for Metra and for riders and, the transit line hopes, bring back customers who found other means of getting to and from the city during the pandemic but have not returned now that it's mostly over. But as Pyke recently found, they may be in for some surprises if they don't bring themselves up to speed pretty soon.
In a random sampling of riders, Pyke found this response about the fare changes from a 40-year Metra customer typical: "I didn't know that."
Riders take notice. Changes are coming, and if you don't start evaluating them and sharing your ideas, you'll be stuck with the consequences.
Not that, on the whole, you have a lot to fear. Most of the changes are designed to keep costs similar to what most riders are paying now and reduce them for some people, but some popular rates - notably day passes and the $100 monthly Super Saver will be discontinued.
Metra says the new structure will produce slightly more revenue than the line is taking in now, but that increasing revenue alone is not the point. Increasing riders is. Metra spokesman Michael Gillis told Pyke that the new structures will consolidate zones on Metra's various lines, reducing fares for some riders and requiring fewer zone collections from Metra conductors.
Metra officials also say they're willing to consider implementing their own version of a subsidy program in place at the CTA for college students.
As with any major process change, the people most affected need to be aware of what's coming and have a say in it happens.
To help, Metra has announced the program at its website, metra.com, and plans to survey passengers, conduct a virtual public hearing and lead informational programs at downtown stations later this month. But clearly, this campaign - on a program approved two weeks ago and set to be in place in about a month - is coming late in the game. Hopefully, the agency is set to mount a concerted information drive, but riders, likewise, should be getting involved sooner rather than later if they want to make sure the changes are in their best interest and avoid confusion when the new system is in place.