Article last updated:
Sunday, May 27, 2001 2:47 AM MST
Riders speak against fare increase
ACE board will make final decision June 18
By Craig Kapitan
STAFF WRITER
Area commuters are starting to voice their opinions to Altamont
Commuter Express officials concerning a fare increase the transit
agency proposed last week.
"We've had a lot of opposition from the riders," ACE Director of
Administrative Services Vickie Mello said Friday. "Some who have
indicated that they may get a raise this year are telling us it will
now amount to nothing."
The ACE board of directors indicated at their monthly meeting last
week that they would support a 10 percent increase in all fares.
However, the board will wait until next month's meeting, June 18, to
make a final decision so that public input can be gathered.
Mello said she is receiving about 10 e-mails a day. Many are positive,
but many others state negative views toward the plan.
She said she expects the response rate to hold steady once flyers are
handed out to commuters on the ACE trains.
"I'm sure it's a shock to some people," she said. "People are feeling
(the pinch of increased gas and electricity prices) in many ways.
"But a lot of times after we've explained the reasoning behind the
increase ... people have been very understanding."
Monthly passes currently range from $59 to $279, depending on how far
each commuter travels. If instituted, the range will be boosted to
between $65 and $307.
The increase would be the first change in rates since October 1998,
when the ACE train system was started.
During that time there has been a 50 percent increase in service and
the Consumer Price Index has grown by 10.65 percent.
The Authority also considered a 7 percent increase, which was
originally proposed last August, but eventually decided to recommend
the higher increase.
A 10-percent increase would more adequately allow ACE to continue
offering bus shuttle services to passengers at no additional charge.
ACE could probably survive without the increase, Mello said, but
without it passengers will probably feel the crunch in service.
She said she doesn't believe the increase, if approved, will have a
lasting effect on ACE ridership.
Neither does Mike O'Dorney. Until becoming a victim of high-tech
industry lay-offs last week, he has ridden ACE since 1998.
"ACE is like anything else -- the price goes up," he said. "It's kind
of fair and it's kind of expected. When ACE first cranked up, I was
still getting gas for under a buck."
But even he doesn't expect the increase to go unnoticed. Along with
some of his fellow commuters, O'Dorney is putting together a laundry
list of things the group would like to see ACE improve with the extra
funds.
Items include installing a telephone at the Lathrop station and
putting route maps along the walls inside each train.
O'Dorney said he will present the list at the next meeting.
"In general we don't have a lot of heartache over (the increases)," he
said. "But we would like to kind of use them as a lever (for more
improvements)."
Area residents can make comments regarding the plan by visiting[55]
www.acerail.com, calling 1-(800) 411-RAIL or by sending a fax to (209)
468-5610.
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