DART - Missing 3%

After reading the study that someone pointed out in my blog, I thought I'd write about what's in that study. That occurred in this thread - http://www.dallas.org/node/357 - if you want to go read all of it. The study that they pointed me too has even more information in it about the things all you have heard me complaining about for nearly three long years now.

I won't force all of you to download and page through the 120MB PDF, but it really is interesting reading for anyone who runs a transit system. One of the main points of the system is that the "Honor System" which DART is so very fond of, is one of the most insecure and one of the least likely to collect fares. According to the study, 5% of passengers will never be willing to pay a fare and 85% won't pay if they think the odds are good that they'll get away with it.

Why would you build a system like this? We know why they built it this way. The study spells it out. The stations are cheap. The low installation cost, however, is offset by a greater need for policing and fare enforcement. That works out to a much higher cost over the operating life of the stations (which is virtually indefinite), particularly ones in "central business districts" a.k.a. "downtown" areas.

DART seems to be after low installation cost and no policing and no fare enforcement. I'm not the only one complaining on line either. I'm just the only one complaining *here* where it gets some attention. I am, in many ways, the canary in the coal mine. You don't have to take my word for it. Check Google for yourself.

My new burning question is this. I'm taking "WorldTravler" as my source here. He claims that DART is catching 2% of all riders during fare enforcement sweeps. Since the study says that there should be *at least* 5%, where's the missing 3%? My guess is that they're evading the Fare Inspectors and DART police, since there aren't enough of them to make a meaningful difference.