Silver Lining in Planned Metro Fare Increase

[JeffC]

I was reading the Washington Post this weekend and they had a brief description of the planned Metro fare increases, such as $.25 increase to park, etc. One tidbit at the very end pointed out that the annual bike locker rental fee had gone up a few years ago from $70 to $200 but this was discouraging use. Therefore, despite the increases, the plan was to decrease the rental fee from $200 to $120. I realize a lot could happen from now to actual implementation so this may never come to fruition but for those of us who rent lockers this is good news. Hopefully, they will still be available too for those that want to rent one and cannot ride in all the way to work every day.

Topic

[eminva]

Thanks. When we first moved to VA, I got a locker at EFC so I could work up to commuting the full distance. After a while I didn’t use it so much, so I gave it up when they raised the rate. I wonder if they have given any thought to daily rentals? I could see demand for that kind of flexibility. One of the last times I used my locker, I was experiencing technical difficulties with my bike that were beyond my trailside expertise so I just parked the bike at the locker to deal with later. It wouldn’t be worth renting one annually for such eventualities. CaBi has daily rentals, so the technology exists . . .

Liz

[Greenbelt]

I gave up my locker when they raised the fee. Plus I was frustrated because they never cleaned up the bike areas (or shoveled in the winter). Started commuting all the way downtown, and haven’t taken Metro more than a couple times since. It seems like they should lower the fee even more in places where there aren’t waiting lists for lockers (like Greenbelt I think).

[JeffC]

I agree that the stars need to really align to make it worthwhile to have a locker. I tend to use my locker mostly in winter, when day light savings time is in effect and when my kids are in school. I would like to commute more all the way into work but it has become somewhat more difficult with kids schedules. Given that parking at WFC is nearly $5, at $70 or $120 annually a locker would pay for itself really quickly as compared with parking. Buses in my area are kind of sporadic too and biking to EFC is faster than driving to WFC.

If I had a spare beater bike I would just park at the racks but I’ve got a nice saddle, panniers I use when I bike to the Metro plus my lights and helmet all of which I would otherwise have to store somehow when I ride so the lockers come in handy.

Given the poor responses I got from Metro with some lock problems a few months ago, I would think they would have a hard time implementing a daily rental, heck they can barely do a yearly one.

[pfunkallstar]

@JeffC 13145 wrote:

I agree that the stars need to really align to make it worthwhile to have a locker. I tend to use my locker mostly in winter, when day light savings time is in effect and when my kids are in school. I would like to commute more all the way into work but it has become somewhat more difficult with kids schedules. Given that parking at WFC is nearly $5, at $70 or $120 annually a locker would pay for itself really quickly as compared with parking. Buses in my area are kind of sporadic too and biking to EFC is faster than driving to WFC.

If I had a spare beater bike I would just park at the racks but I’ve got a nice saddle, panniers I use when I bike to the Metro plus my lights and helmet all of which I would otherwise have to store somehow when I ride so the lockers come in handy.

Given the poor responses I got from Metro with some lock problems a few months ago, I would think they would have a hard time implementing a daily rental, heck they can barely do a yearly one.

Sadly there just isn’t enough demand out there to get Metro thinking about ways to improve those amenities available to hybrid commuters. Also, the EFC bike locker area turns into a public urinal on Saturday nights -gross.

[baiskeli]

Soon you’ll be able to enjoy the silver lining on the Silver Line.

[Author]

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