Metro fare increase ahead?

Just as rising gas prices push more commuters onto the bus, transit agencies are running low on cash to fill their own vehicles with diesel fuel.

That problem might turn into a fare increase for King County Metro Transit passengers — right on the heels of a 25-cent boost this March. A fuel surcharge could prevent cutbacks in the future, says Dow Constantine, D-West Seattle, and chairman of the council's Transportation Committee.

Metro predicts a $13 million shortfall this year, and if gas prices level off at $4.30 next year, there would be an additional $20 million gap, he said. Currently, a one-zone adult fare is $1.75 at peak times.

"I don't think delay is our friend," Constantine said. "I think we have to recognize the changing conditions and deal with them, before we're forced with a real bad choice about cutting service."

No proposals have been made yet. Metro managers are supposed to give county Executive Ron Sims a menu of options next week.

"There is one thing that is not negotiable. We will not reduce bus service," Sims said.

Service increases scheduled for September are not at risk, said Kevin Desmond, Metro's general manager. But the extent of future service improvements funded by the Transit Now sales tax could be in question. The plan, approved by voters in 2006, calls for bus rapid-transit service every 10 minutes at peak hours to five corridors: Pacific Highway South, West Seattle, Ballard, Aurora and Overlake, to begin in the 2010s.

Like other transit agencies, Metro is seeing more riders. Transit use is up 3.3 percent nationwide, and up 6 percent in King County, compared with the first quarter of 2007, according to the American Public Transit Association.

A number of factors make this an auspicious time to woo passengers: spiking gas prices, parking fees, traffic congestion, added transit services and awareness of global warming.

"Why would we reduce service, and why would we not grow our system out, in light of demand?" wonders Sims. "... How do we keep service momentum?"

The dilemma faces transit operators everywhere. A recent member survey by APTA found an average 44 percent spike in fuel costs since last year.

Half of those agencies say they already have increased fares, while more than a third have delayed or canceled new service. The Cleveland area, for example, cut bus service 5 percent this year — despite growing demand — but plans to hold the line on further cuts.

Closer to home, Kitsap Transit has announced a 25-cent fare increase starting in August, along with cuts to routes that carry fewer than 10 people per hour, and a trim of four administrative jobs. That should cover fuel spikes through 2009, said director Dick Hayes. But he thinks fuel will continue to get more expensive. "The decisions get much harder from here."

Snohomish County's Community Transit has made no proposals to change service or fares. The agency will launch its Swift bus rapid-transit line on Highway 99 next year, and still is seeking bids this year for new double-decker commuter buses, spokesman Tom Pearce said.

Sound Transit can cover its fuel gap with reserve funds this year and hasn't planned for 2009 yet. The spike affects not only its express buses, but the diesel-powered Sounder commuter trains, which carry 28 percent more riders than last year, mainly on its south-end line. "We're not talking about fare increases or service cuts at this time," said spokeswoman Linda Robson.

One winner is Pierce Transit, whose fleet runs on compressed natural gas, equivalent to $1.21 per gallon.

The price shock is reaching school districts, too, which transport more than 400,000 students a day on buses statewide. Some districts are reducing the number of bus stops within a mile of school buildings, said Randy Millhollen, transportation coordinator for the Puget Sound Educational Service District.

Metro has suspended the purchases of biodiesel, which costs more than regular diesel, Desmond said. The County Council plans to scrutinize Metro to see if money can be saved, said Constantine.

He's under particular pressure to stave off cuts. His West Seattle base and the Ballard area get virtually no service from Sound Transit; would be isolated by a future Alaskan Way Viaduct reconstruction or removal; lost a proposed monorail project in 2005; and are counting on Metro to beef up the system. "My constituents are just clamoring for more service," he said.

On Tuesday, cab rides in Seattle got more expensive. City officials boosted the fuel surcharge to $2 per trip, from $1.50.

This article includes information from The Christian Science Monitor. Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com

The information in this article, originally published June 4, 2008, was corrected June 22, 2008. Due to incorrect information supplied by Pierce Transit, a previous version of this story incorrectly stated that the cost to fuel Pierce Transit's compressed natural gas buses is equivalent to buying diesel at $1.89 per gallon. The cost is actually comparable to $1.21 per gallon. A federal refund program further reduces the agency's cost.