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DOT estimates roughly $2,806 per day in foregone fares for suspended service
Summary
During the ADEPT committee hearing, Director Mark Takamori estimated that suspending fare collection would reduce revenue by about $2,806 per day and said the department’s overall budget is roughly $27 million.
Council Chair Alice Lee asked for the transportation department’s total budget and for an estimate of how much revenue would be lost on a day when fares were suspended. Director Mark Takamori said he did not have the exact figure at hand but believed the department’s total budget is "around $27,000,000." He later estimated the daily amount of fare revenue the department would forgo at about "$2,806 per day."
Members discussed those estimates in the context of the bill’s 14-day annual suspension allowance. Council member Tamara Poulton estimated the 14-day cost could be "roughly maybe $40,000, a little bit less," and said broader free transit would need a funding plan rather than relying solely on highway funds.
The committee asked the department to provide a fuller breakdown of funding sources and operational assumptions as the measure moves to the council. Director Takamori said the department will use ridership data to refine cost estimates as the program is piloted.
