Additional Data November 24, 1975 Request Ridership Estimation Question 4: Is it legitimate to assume that this distribution has remained relatively constant over time? Is another survey contemplated? YES It can be assumed that the present ridership distribution is the same as the ridership distribution experienced in 1972. A change in fares was recently implemented by the Authority which may have changed the ridership distribution. This change affected the periods at which time the peak/off-peak fares change. Since a peak/offpeak fare differential was implamented on September 1, 1975, riders able to take advantage of the off-peak may have changed their times in order to pay the lower off-peak fare. In addition, since work hours for most people are not flexible, it is unlikely that the ridership distribution has changed significantly. A study, to determine ridership distributions by hours of the day, would be very costly and require a substantial number of manhours. Due to this, another survey of this type is not contemplated in the near future. Page 2 4. These data are not maintained on a regular basis by public or private transit systems. Study conducted by Wilbur Smith & Associates, for the Authority, in the fall of 1972, includes ridership by half-hour periods for a normal weekday. Results of this study are as follows: 5. Base day ridership count not available, except as shown above in Item 4. 7. 8. Page 3 Base day ridership count is not available, except as shown above Base day revenues from base day riders are not available. 10. 1971 124,069,000 1/ Under private ownership, riders could not transfer free from one company bus to another company bus. Instead, an interline ticket was sold to the riders for 35 cents, which resulted in a 5-cent discount when boarding the second bus. In computing ridership, shown above, these interline riders were counted by all companies, resulting in a double counting of riders. Base day ridership counts were not conducted by private companies, therefore, are not available, except as shown in Item 4 above. 1/ Includes double counting of interline riders by private companies, therefore, not comparable to the Authority's ridership estimates for FY 74 and 75. Upon takeover of the four private transit companies in early 1973, free transfers were provided all Metrobus riders. NOTE: 1967 ridership amounted to 169,220,000 Additional Data November 24, 1975 Request Questions 9 & 13: Ridership Estimation Is it possible to estimate or infer the number of interline transfers to present some substantiation of the Authority's long-term growth claims? The Authority acquired the four private transit companies in early 1973 (January and February). For calendar year 1972, ridership of 124,069,000 and revenue of $55,971,617 as reported by the private companies, represents the last full year of operation. During the first 12 complete months of operation by the Authority, (3/1/73 - 2/28/74), passenger revenues amounted to $54,099,932 compared to $55,971,617 received by the private companies, a difference of $1,871,685. The reduction in revenue was caused by actions taken by the WMATA Board to unify fares. These actions included: 1. Elimination of interline transfer charge 2. Extension of senior citizen reduced fare to all jurisdictions. Previously only in effect in areas 3. served by the former D.C. Transit System, Inc. former WMA Transit Co. to fare charged by former D.C. reduced by the Authority to 40¢). 4. Equalizing fares charged in areas served by the former |