Gray Proposes Doubling Circulator Fare

The DC Circulator System, best known for its cherry-red buses that ply the major thoroughfares of Washington, has been a unique success for a city plagued by transit problems, particularly below ground. For cash-strapped college students in particular, its $1 flat-fare for an unlimited number of rides has been particularly attractive, alongside a schedule that is considerably more frequent and reliably timely than most Metrobus routes. Since its creation in 2005, the system has been one of the few in the region to experience more ridership growth than cost increases.

 
Facing a $322 million budget deficit for the 2012 fiscal year, however, Mayor Vincent Gray proposed to the City Council today nearly $130 million in tax and fee increases, including a doubling of the Circulator fare from $1 to $2, if paid in cash. Customers paying with SmartTrip cards would have their cost raised from $1 to $1.50, eliminating the $0.50 advantage Circulator riders had over their Metrobus-riding peers.

The fare increase had originally been proposed in the District Department of Transportation's report on the Circulator's 10-year development plan released on March 29, alongside the elimination of Smithsonian-Mall route. Also proposed was a suspension of the Convention Center-Southwest Waterfront route, a line with relatively low ridership yet a strong core set of riders who are moving into the developing neighborhood along the Washington Channel. DDOT's report also noted that the Circulator stops at the corners of K ST. and 18th, 19th, and 20th streets, all bordering GW's campus, had low use and recommended their consolidation.