Montgomery & Balto City Support HB 1185 to end onerous farebox recovery standards at MTA


Form One Less Car:
HB 1185 - MTA Efficiency and Performance Standards - SUPPORT

Currently the State of Maryland dictates that 40% of all Maryland Transit Administration operating funds must come from what is collected in fares on buses, light rail, Baltimore Metro and MARC. To meet this rather high farebox recovery measure (most metro areas have lower farebox recovery standards or none at all), fares are often raised and services are routinely cut. This is a vicious circle.

HB 1185 repeals the farebox recovery requirement in current law and replaces it with a host of more appropriate and nationally accepted transit performance measures (i.e. operating expenses per revenue vehicle mile, operating expenses per passenger trip, and passenger trips per revenue vehicle mile).

Passage of this bill will allow MTA to better implement services that have lower farebox recovery rates - such as neighborhood shuttles and bus service to growing suburban employment locations - that would otherwise have a beneficial impact for the traveling public, the environment, and the economy.

HB 1185 is also supported by the Citizens Planning &amp; Housing Association, the Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, the Annapolis Regional Transportation Management Association and the Action Committee for Transit of Montgomery County. HB 1185: <a href="http://mlis.state.md.us/2008rs/bills/hb/hb1185f.pdf">http://mlis.state.md.us/2008rs/bills/hb/hb1185f.pdf</a>;

The bill will be heard this Thursday, March 6th at 11AM in the House of Delegates Ways and Means Committee. Please contact your delegates (particularly in the Baltimore and DC suburbs) to tell them you support fair transit performance standards and more investment in the MTA system.

Also, if you live in the districts of Ways and Means Chairperson, Sheila Hixson, or Vice Chair, Ann Marie Doory, please send them an email explaining your support for the bill.

* Sheila E. Hixson, District 20, Montgomery County, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3469, sheila.hixson@house.state.md.us (Takoma Park, Silver Spring &amp; White Oak)
* Ann Marie Doory, District 43, Baltimore City, 1-800-492-7122, ext. 3476, annmarie.doory@house.state.md.us (North Central Baltimore City)



by B' Spokes

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