Circulate San Diego 1111 6th Avenue, Suite 402 San Diego, CA 92101 Tel: 619-544-9255 Fax: 619-531-9255 www.circulatesd.org

March 7, 2018

Chair Georgette Gómez Board of Directors Metropolitan Transit System 1255 Imperial Avenue, Suite 1000 San Diego, CA 92101

RE: Bus Transfers in the Development of the Regional Study Packages

Chair Gómez,

On behalf of Circulate San Diego, whose mission is to create excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy neighborhoods, I am writing to urge the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Board of Directors to include free or discounted bus transfers in all packages of the Regional Fare Study.

MTS is one of only two of the twenty largest transit agencies in the United States that does not provide free or reduced-price transfers for bus riders. (Attachment A). This inequity should be corrected at the next possible opportunity, and that is the Regional Fare Study that is currently being undertaken.

Circulate has discussed the problematic lack of bus transfers with staff and urged them to plan for allowing transfers. We commend MTS staff for bringing forward a proposal for a new pass, the 3-Hour $3 Pass. We hope the MTS board considers this proposal favorably as a means to allow greater access and ease of use for our region’s bus system.

An option for transfers such as the 3-Hour $3 Pass should be incorporated into all of the fare packages being analyzed in the Regional Fare Study, incorporated into the amendments to SANDAG’s Comprehensive Fare Ordinance, and incorporated into the amendments to MTS’ Ordinance 4, An Ordinance Establishing a Metropolitan Transit System Fare Pricing Schedule.

Sincerely,

Maya Rosas Advocacy Manager Circulate San Diego

Creating excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy communities.

1

CC: Paul Jablonski, Chief Executive Officer, MTS Sharon Cooney, Chief of Staff, MTS

Attachment A—Transfer Policy Comparison - Top 20

Creating excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy communities.

2 Attachment A – Transfer Policies for Top 20 United States Transit Agencies (Ridership Source Data from: http://www.apta.com/resources/statistics/Documents/FactBook/2016-APTA-Fact-Book.pdf.)

Yearly Unlinked Transfer Free Largest city Rail Transfer Rank Agency Passenger for Local Transfer Card Name Bus Transfer Policy Notes served Policy Trips Bus for Rail? (Thousands) When paying with MetroCard, passengers http://web.mta.inf 1 http://web.mta.info/nyct/bus may transfer free from

1 MTA 3,861,099 Free Free MetroCard o/nyct/bus/howto /howto_bus.htm bus to rail, rail to bus, or _bus.htm bus to bus within two hours. When paying with http://www.transit http://www.transitchicago.c , a transfer is 25c,

2 CTA 514,217 Discount Free Ventra chicago.com/fare om/fares/ valid for 2 additional s/ rides within 2 hours. When paying with TAP card, free transfer for 2 https://www.metr hours, additional charges TAP (Transit https://www.metro.net/riding

3 LACMTA 479,654 Free Free o.net/riding/fares apply for express buses Access Pass) /fares/ / or metro , 50c transfer available to some non-metro buses. Rail is paid by number of stops travelled https://www.wma independent of transfers. Washington, https://www.wmata.com/rid ta.com/rider- Rail to bus and bus to

4 WMATA 411,324 Free Distance SmarTrip

D.C. er-guide/transfers.cfm guide/transfers.cf rail transfers are m discounted. Bus to bus is free for unlimited transfers within 2 hours. Must use CharlieCard for transfer. Rail to bus includes one free bus http://www.mbta. http://www.mbta.com/fares_ transfer. Bus to bus

5 MBTA 409,248 Free Free CharlieCard com/fares_and_ and_passes/subway/ transfer is free. Bus to passes/subway/ rail transfer requires an upgrade to rail fare. Transfers valid for 2

1 MTA includes MTA New York City Transit, MTA Bus, MTA Long Island Rail Road, MTA Metro-North Railroad, and MTA Staten Island Railway. Calculated by Circulate from dataset.

Creating excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy communities.

1 Yearly Unlinked Transfer Free Largest city Rail Transfer Rank Agency Passenger for Local Transfer Card Name Bus Transfer Policy Notes served Policy Trips Bus for Rail? (Thousands) hours. Free rail transfers are only offered at limited Discount, SEPTA Key http://www.septa.org/fares/t http://www.septa. locations. Otherwise,

6 SEPTA 347,178 Discount limited Card ransit/ org/fares/transit/ transfers are $1 and free must be in the same direction of travel.

http://www.njtran Transfer discounts are http://www.njtransit.com/sf/ sit.com/sf/sf_ser available, but discount

7 NJ Transit New York City 270,958 Discount Distance N/A sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageActi vlet.srv?hdnPag varies by number of on=MainTo eAction=MainTo zones travelled.

https://www.sfmt https://www.sfmta.com/getti a.com/getting- A rider may transfer any ng-around/transit/fares- around/transit/far

8 Muni 228,749 Free Free Clipper number of times within a passes/single-rides- es- 90 minute period. transfers passes/single- rides-transfers MARTA partners with other agencies. Transfers are free without card MARTA to http://www.atltra MARTA. Transfers are http://www.atltransit.org/far

9 MARTA 129,123 Free Free nsit.org/fares/tra free with a card for other es/transfers/ nsfers/ agencies, but the trip must start or end with MARTA. Trip up to 3-4 hours and 3-4 transfers depending on agency. https://www.bart. Fare is calculated by gov/sites/default/ distance regardless of

10 BART San Francisco 228,749 N/A Distance Clipper N/A files/docs/Basics transfer. BART does not Guide_ENG_De operate buses. c%202014.pdf https://www.soundtransit.or https://www.soun Transfer value is stored King g/sites/default/files/docume dtransit.org/sites/ for two hours on the

11 County 125,340 Free Free ORCA Card nts/pdf/about/board/resoluti default/files/docu ORCA card, and is Metro ons/2014/Resolution_R201 ments/pdf/about/ credited in full for

Creating excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy communities.

2 Yearly Unlinked Transfer Free Largest city Rail Transfer Rank Agency Passenger for Local Transfer Card Name Bus Transfer Policy Notes served Policy Trips Bus for Rail? (Thousands) 4-27.pdf board/resolutions transfers. The net result /2014/Resolution is the rider pays the _R2014-27.pdf highest individual fare of the rail or bus ridden. Unclear from website, https://mta.maryl MTA https://mta.maryland.gov/re had to call (410)-539-

12 113,996 None None CharmCard and.gov/regular-

Maryland gular-fares 5000 to confirm no fares transfers are offered. Transfers require an and are free from bus to bus or rail to - http://www.miami http://www.miamidade.gov/t rail. Bus to rail or rail to

13 Dade Miami 110,771 Free Free EASY Card dade.gov/transit/t ransit/transfers.asp bus costs 60c. Transfers

ransfers.asp Transit must be made within three hours and are not for return trips. Transfers are valid for http://www.rtd- http://www.rtd- three hours and may not

14 RTD Denver 104,291 Free Free MyRide denver.com/HowToTransfer denver.com/How be used in the opposite .shtml ToRideLR.shtml direction. One way ticket is a 2 ½ https://trimet.org/

15 TriMet Portland 99,494 Free Free n/a https://trimet.org/fares/ hour pass to ride fares/ anywhere on Trimet No transfers involving https://www.sdmt Compass https://www.sdmts.com/fare buses. Rail to rail

16 MTS San Diego 91,870 None Free s.com/fares- Card s-passes transfers are free for two passes hours. http://www.ridem METRO Q http://www.ridemetro.org/Pa Free transfers in any

17 METRO 85,370 Free Free etro.org/Pages/F Card ges/Fares.aspx direction for 3 hours. ares.aspx Free transfer unlimited rides at the same fare https://www.metr Metro https://www.metrotransit.or level in any direction for

18 Minneapolis 84,536 Free Free Go-To Card otransit.org/trans

Transit g/transfers up to 2½ hours. fers Surcharges apply for higher fare levels. PATH does not operate https://www.pany buses. A one way rail

19 PATH New York City 84,168 N/A Free SmartLink N/A nj.gov/path/fares. ticket is valid for 2 hours html from time of purchase.

Creating excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy communities.

3 Yearly Unlinked Transfer Free Largest city Rail Transfer Rank Agency Passenger for Local Transfer Card Name Bus Transfer Policy Notes served Policy Trips Bus for Rail? (Thousands) https://metrarail.c Metra is commuter rail om/tickets/ticket-

20 Metra Chicago 74,382 N/A Distance N/A N/A only. Fares are paid by options#One- distance. Way-Ticket

Creating excellent mobility choices and vibrant, healthy communities.

4