Photo: Seattle TimesThe Seattle Times raises a good point within
an article about the S.L.U.T.'s ridership — paying is awkward — and there are folks who don't pay at all.
On the trains, the orange-trimmed ticket machines take only cash, no plastic. On the sidewalk, a set of four machines takes only plastic, no cash.
Trains sometimes wait for visitors as they fumble with the outdoor machines, not knowing they can pay onboard, said Christine Rimorin, a daily commuter who suggests making rides free.
Two people, in a group of five headed to lunch, held cash in their fists, thinking a Metro inspector would collect fares. One person eventually bought a ticket from the machine; another didn't.
One woman didn't because she thought her ride would be free since she boarded in the downtown zone that's sometimes free for buses.
Another repeatedly flattened her dollar bill, but the machine repeatedly spit it back, and she gave up. "Please eat my money," pleaded a business visitor from England, until the machine finally accepted.
Esther Franada of Kent tried the streetcar on her first day of work in South Lake Union. She tried in vain to buy a ticket. She didn't need to — she had a Metro pass.
Only 1 to 2 percent of riders evade paying the fare, Jacobson said. Spot-checks are sporadic, but are supposed to increase this summer.
"I think I've been checked twice," rider Jeff Whiteaker said. "It would be pretty easy to cheat."
1 to 2 percent, huh?
Some other interesting streetcar statistics:
- The S.L.U.T. serves slightly over 1,000 daily, on average
- On average, there are 8 riders per one-way trip
- Ticket sales on the streetcar cover 5% of operational costs vs. 6% for the countywide bus system
- Counting bus passes, streetcar passengers cover 14% of operational costs vs. 22% for the bus system
- The streetcar has 97% on-time performance vs. [substantially less] for the bus system
