INNOVATIVE RTA FARE designed to capture pairs or more of auto users

Last Friday evening two friends of mine went to a function just outside of downtown in Cleveland, Ohio. They did not take the RTA rail (which would have been very convenient) because the sum of their four fares (two persons in  to Terminal Tower at $2.00 each +  – plus each passenger  $2.00 onward out of Terminal Tower   for a round trip total of $16.00 or if you remember -  two all day passes at $4.50 each = $9.00 ) [1] was  more than the cost to both of them traveling together in one vehicle  (charging the IRS allotted mileage of   $.55 per mile [2]).

 

I believe the RTA should fashion a new “two for one” , or “two for three or four” fare schedule for groups of travelers traveling together to and from the same destination at the same time.   

 

Both my friends would have been able to enter the GCRTA rail system inbound from the same station at the same time, would have transferred at Terminal Tower at the same time , and would have exited at the same time from the same station.  

 

The RTA should recognize that they are not financially competitive with private passenger cars (if more than one person travels to the same location simultaneously), and adapt their fare schedule in an attempt to capture those travelers who would use the RTA - but for the fact that it is less costly for a group to travel in a private passenger vehicle.

 

Since the RTA is not operating at, or near, capacity, paired passengers would impose no additional cost on the RTA, the RTA system and public safety would benefit from exposure to these additional travelers, and global carbon loading from fossil fuel auto emissions would be reduced.

 

WHY HAS THE RTA NOT EXPLOYED SUCH FARE INNOVATIONS?

 

And they didn't explore RIDE THE WIND [3] either....

 

The photo shows what appeared to me (and my camera) to be an all white work gang group on Sunday April 19, 2009 between Shaker Square and Martin Luther King Blvd.