Metro Considers Fare Increases in Wake of Fatal Accident

WASHINGTON (AP) – A week after its first fatal accident in five years, Washington's Metro subway system is considering raising fares and reducing the frequency of trains.

The cuts are being considered as a way to reduce the amount of money that Metro will be requesting from local jurisdictions that fund the system. Right now, they're being asked to kick in an additional $140 million in the upcoming budget year.

Metro says in a working budget document released Tuesday that raising rail and bus fares by 10 cents per ride would produce $22 million in revenue.

It's also considering increasing the time between trains from 6 to 8 minutes during peak hours.

Last week, a woman died and dozens were sickened after an electrical malfunction caused a train to fill with smoke.

Copyright 2015 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. (PHOTO: Pablo Martinez Monsivais/ AP)

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