Mass transit runs better if riders pay fare
User fees for the light-rail and bus "infrastructure," as the senator convincingly puts it, took a hike last week along the Wasatch Front. And along with that came an interesting question.
If people pay once for transit through sales taxes and then again when they pay to get on board, is that a form of double taxation?
Or, put another way, why isn't mass transit free for everyone?
That very question was posed last Monday by a handful of advocates for the poor who rallied against the fare increases in front of the Salt Lake City Library. They offered one compelling argument: For riders on fixed incomes, any fare increase at all is a major adjustment.
But the question is particularly intriguing because transit here receives about 70 percent of its support from sales taxes, and in Utah sales taxes apply to many things, including groceries, which means they hit the poor unusually hard. You can cut out a lot of nonessentials. Food isn't one of them.
Let's look at the questions from a few different angles.
First, it isn't necessarily true that all people, regardless of income or circumstances, have to pay the same to ride. The Utah Transit Authority already provides discounts for people who can least afford to pay. UTA spokesman Justin Jones told me the authority works with a number of social service agencies to identify the people who are in the greatest need. Those people can qualify for huge discounts, up to 50 percent, on ticket prices. Homeless shelters offer free transit tokens.
Obviously, UTA itself can't be in the position of deciding who qualifies and who pays full price not unless officials there want to start examining the tax returns of their riders.
Second, the idea of a totally free transit system is not new, nor is it untested. About 30 years ago, voters along the Wasatch Front rejected the idea when they decided to set up UTA, but the idea keeps popping up every now and then like a whack-a-mole. In fact, 11 years ago Randy Horiuchi and Brent Overson, both Salt Lake County commissioners at the time, asked the Legislature to consider a tax increase that would have made the system free. Lawmakers promptly ignored them.
The problem with free is that it often translates into neglect. For some strange reason, humans put a greater value on things they have to pay for out of pocket. The fact that they pay through sales taxes doesn't seem to do the trick.
Comments
- Attempted murder case refiled 1:58 a.m.
- Sports on the air 1:38 a.m.
- This weekend on TV 1:38 a.m.
- Birthdays for Saturday, July 11 1:38 a.m.
- 2 men cited on LDS plaza 1:37 a.m.
- S.L. man spots stolen car — his 1:23 a.m.
- Girl critical after run-in with train 1:23 a.m.
- Probe of death treated as slaying 1:22 a.m.
- Taylorsville man arrested in robbery 1:21 a.m.
- HBO defends U. logo use in 'Love' 1:20 a.m.
- LDS seminary principal arrested
160 - Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
141 - Jazz talking Boozer trade?
136 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
123 - Jazz brass debate Millsap match
99 - Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
94 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
74 - Letters: Single-payer system best
72 - Services bids farewell to Jackson
70
By now you've probably read about the investigation that showed just how...
Sen. Scott Jenkins was name-checked by Jay Leno Monday night during his...
I love Millsap, and the Jazz will find a way to move Boozer and match for...
i think its childish to assume that somebody would actually want to get...
Millsap and Boozer need to stay in Utah. Millsap is Boozers backup while he...
Childish and immature? Its always easier being ignorant and presuming things...
can you use words like testimony and church leadership to critisize a...
Bro P really helped me through a tough time in my life when I had him in...
These are only allegations at present, but I hope when he goes to trial, the...
My thoughts are with the Pratt family right now. Michael I hope you are...
It is interesting that everyone who seems to be a member comments on how nice...
You presume, simply because they were gay, that they were trying to "stir...



You can be the first to comment on this story.