Attached is a revised proposal for structural changes to the Eco Pass program that was delivered to my house this evening.
This new proposal is staff’s response to some of the public input they received at the recent series of 2009 Fare Policy hearings. The most significant features of the revised proposal are as follows:
The biggest change removes the 50 employee minimum as the threshold Eco Pass contract price for businesses of 50 employees or less. Staff’s revised recommendations replace this provision with a minimum contract price for the business Eco Pass that is equivalent to the cost for a set number of annual ValuePasses: 3 for companies of 1-10 employees, 4.5 for companies of 11-20 employees and 6 for companies of 21 employees and over, with these ValuePass numbers increasing in 2010.
Staff’s revised proposal maintains the skyRide fee at $5.00 for rides to DIA, but eliminates the charge for return trips from DIA.
While I still can not accept the proposed structural changes to the Eco Pass program, for the same reasons I have expressed in prior statements, I appreciate the effort staff made in response to the outpouring of public criticism at the Fare Policy hearings.
2009 Fare Proposal – Business Eco Pass
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john@johntayer.org
I don’t see any mention of the proposed moratorium on neighborhood Eco Pass programs. Is this still part of staff’s recommendation? I disagree with any structural changes to Eco Pass at this time, but I’m particularly troubled by the willingness of staff to lock out those district residents who aren’t fortunate enough to get grandfathered into an existing neighorhood program. It’s not fair, it’s not right, and to be honest, I suspect it’s not legal. I don’t see how RTD can allow some neighborhoods to continue participating while arbitrarily telling other residents they may not; seems to me, they are going to need to either kill the neighborhood program entirely (I’m sure that will be a popular decision) or they need to keep the rules the same for ALL district residents.