Important Metro Facts. Fares = 2.6% of Budget

Before you buy that the bus fares need to raised to $2, think about the facts below. And, I find it particularly ironic in that this morning’s news is telling us that gas could be down to $3 per gallon by the end of the fall.

Here’s the facts from the 2008 budget:
Total Madison Metro Bus Budget: Fixed Route Service $40,424,795 plus 8,360,152 for paratransit service for a total of $48,784,947
City’s Contribution: $9,766,712 ($1 ,568,965 goes to paratransit, the rest to the fixed route services)(20%)
Amount raised by bus fares: $1,268,950 (2.6%)

Are the fares really really the answer? They only are 2.6% of the entire Madison Metro budget. Could raising fares end up doing more harm than good?