Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority General Manager John B. Catoe rejected a Metro fare increase plan, NBC4.com reported Friday.
The plan, which the Metro Board of Directors proposed late last year, would have reduced the agency's estimated $116 million budget deficit by raising fares for riders who use the system during rush hour periods, exit at some downtown stations, or use paper fare cards, according to NBC4.com.
Catoe said the proposed plan didn't make sense since it unevenly raised fares and put an additional financial burden on riders who use the system for their daily commute. He said he will propose a new fare increase system at the end of the year which would allow the fares to increase at regular intervals as prescribed by the cost of living, NBC4.com reported.
Until Catoe unveils the plan, he said, he will attempt to close the budget gap by eliminating some of Metro's jobs and using other costcutting measures. Those measures will not include any cuts in service to the agency's Metrorail and Metrobus systems, according to NBC4.com.
-JIMM PHILLIPS
