5 ms·

That's not how any metro transport works. The Tube is manic at peak times, because...peak. But everyone mostly pays a flat rate for using the whole system each

That's not how any metro transport works. The Tube is manic at peak times, because...peak. But everyone mostly pays a flat rate for using the whole system each week (within the zones they travel to at least). This is a solved problem.

isostatic 7y ago
Except some people take the bus or walk because it's cheaper. Those arriving at Euston in the peak and getting on the Victoria line to Oxford Circus may choose to save £4 return and walk for half an hour instead of taking 15 minutes on the tube. If they didn't have the saving they may simply add to the crush
Scoundreller 7y ago
Flat rate sounds like a disincentive toward demand shifting (work 10-6 or 11-7 once a week) or working from home once a week. Either strategy would increase peak supply by 20%. Too often, citizens jump to “we need more subways” without exploiting the low-hanging fruit.
- isostatic 7y ago
  I really dislike season tickets as they offer no financial incentive to do a 4, or even 3 day week.
mostlystatic 7y ago
> But everyone mostly pays a flat rate for using the whole system each week (within the zones they travel to at least). I was wondering how widespread travel cards are, since I never bought one personally. If you don't travel much on the weekends you end up paying more. In 2017 TfL sold weekly, monthly, and annual travel cards covering year-round flat-rate travel for ~0.8m people. Travel card journeys account for about 39% of all journeys. Maybe it was more common in the past, since travel card journeys dropped around 10% a year from 2015-2017. https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information/foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-2774-1718 https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-informa...
- scatters 7y ago
  You don't need to, the weekly cap is applied automatically. A weekly travelcard is only useful if you're visiting London for a 5-day period that covers a weekend.
  - isostatic 7y ago
    People from outside the zones often have a travelcard - e.g. Sevenoaks-Z16, which allows unlimited travel between Sevenoaks and anywhere in London

isostatic 7y ago

Except some people take the bus or walk because it's cheaper. Those arriving at Euston in the peak and getting on the Victoria line to Oxford Circus may choose to save £4 return and walk for half an hour instead of taking 15 minutes on the tube. If they didn't have the saving they may simply add to the crush

Scoundreller 7y ago

Flat rate sounds like a disincentive toward demand shifting (work 10-6 or 11-7 once a week) or working from home once a week. Either strategy would increase peak supply by 20%. Too often, citizens jump to “we need more subways” without exploiting the low-hanging fruit.

isostatic 7y ago
I really dislike season tickets as they offer no financial incentive to do a 4, or even 3 day week.

mostlystatic 7y ago

> But everyone mostly pays a flat rate for using the whole system each week (within the zones they travel to at least). I was wondering how widespread travel cards are, since I never bought one personally. If you don't travel much on the weekends you end up paying more. In 2017 TfL sold weekly, monthly, and annual travel cards covering year-round flat-rate travel for ~0.8m people. Travel card journeys account for about 39% of all journeys. Maybe it was more common in the past, since travel card journeys dropped around 10% a year from 2015-2017. https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information/foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-2774-1718 https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-informa...

scatters 7y ago
You don't need to, the weekly cap is applied automatically. A weekly travelcard is only useful if you're visiting London for a 5-day period that covers a weekend.
- isostatic 7y ago
  People from outside the zones often have a travelcard - e.g. Sevenoaks-Z16, which allows unlimited travel between Sevenoaks and anywhere in London