The following commentary was offered as the personal opinion of Jim Cameron, Vice Chmn. of the CT Rail Commuter Council. This editorial reply aired on Cablevision April 23, 1999.

"THE CARROT & THE STICK"

A recent Cablevision editorial didn't go far enough when it opposed the CT Dept of Transportation's proposed fare increase on Metro-North.

We need to do more than keep fares low to get people to take the train to work instead of driving. We also need to make drivers pay the real cost of their commute.

In my view. gasoline taxes shouldn't be lowered. They should be raised, with the moneys going to subsidize mass transit. Gas guzzling SUV's should be taxed accordingly for the pollution they create.

Free parking spaces at places of work should be eliminated. Making employees pay for parking at their job helps them recognize the social cost of their commutation patterns.

Conversely, parking at railroad stations should be free. Towns like Darien which recently raised meter rates 29% just don't get it. Commuters are tired of being targets for revenue without improvements in service.

Ticket prices on Metro-North should be lowered and service increased. With only one train an hour between New Haven and Stamford, the train isn't a reasonable alternative to the car. The NYC subway's adoption of MetroCard discounts has proven that lowering fares attracts more riders, increasing revenues.

The DOT seems to be backing down from a proposed summertime ticket boost, at least for now. But the twin-problems of highway congestion and air pollution will never go away until we use both the carrot and the stick to get commuters off the roads and onto the rails on their way to work.

I'm Jim Cameron.