u/MNMystery

While I think the Downtown Zones were a good idea when MTC created them in the 1970s (they were called Dime Zones then), I think Metro Transit should abolish or reform them in their quest to simplify the fare system. My thoughts:

There is much less intra-downtown transit usage than in the past. In addition, too many people misuse the Downtown Zone by lying about where they are going. One bus driver who used to blog about her job had a passenger who would try to go to Louisiana Ave. on a Downtown Zone fare, LOL!

Also, if someone wants to pay a DZ fare with a Go-To Card, the driver has to manually adjust the reader, which is less than ideal.

Possible improvements:

1. Simply abolish the Downtown Zones and charge the regular fare even within downtown.

2. Create "Free Tail" service similar to existing free rides on Nicollet Mall on buses ending downtown. The corollary would be "Free Head" service on Pay Exit buses if you exit before leaving downtown.

3. For LRT, BRT, and possible future POP service, free downtown service could be implemented via simple exemption from fare inspection within downtown.

4. Instead of a free/reduced service on regular buses, implement a special free or reduced shuttle system within downtown similar to the U of M service or the 16th St. Mall in Denver.

There once were two good reasons for Pay Exit in the outbound direction on express buses to the suburbs: 1) It made boarding in the outbound direction faster by eliminating long lines to pay, and 2) The zone system meant the fare amount varied by how far you were going. Almost all riders were coming from downtown, so the exit point was the fare determiner for ~99% of them.

Nowadays, there aren't the insane crowds boarding express buses in the PM rush hour, and fare zones don't exist anymore.

Pay Exit is confusing for people who ride local buses in the inner city most of the time and only use suburban expresses occasionally. Also, eliminating Pay Exit would enable Metro Transit to go to a POP system like San Francisco has for regular buses, not just BRT and rail. Taking the driver out of fare enforcement and having more police/TRIP agent presence would improve the experience for many people. (I don't immediately remember where I read this, but studies in Europe showed the best compliance/cost ratio was when about 7 percent of riders were inspected and where the inspections were truly random, not a guessable pattern.)

Some routes are officially Pay Exit but informally treated by drivers and passengers as Pay Enter. The best example I can think of is the former 852, now the 827 which is still officially Pay Exit even though it isn't express. This is extra confusing if you are new to the route but see it is Pay Exit on the printed schedule.