People who plan on attending July 4 events in Phoenix or Tempe can buy their light rail passes now, allowing them to avoid long lines at fare boxes to validate tickets.
Buying before the July 1 fare increase (an all-day pass is going to $3.50) will also let riders save a buck.
While the convenience can only be a benefit for Independence Day riders, we're pretty sure the real reason for this promotion has to do tricking passengers into actually paying for their rides.
As Metro Light Rail CEO Rick Simonetta explained to us recently, when event traffic on the trains gets thick, fewer people bother to validate tickets, and fewer tickets end up inspected by light rail workers.
Knowing that, you could probably get away with riding for free on July 4. But then, potential bad citizen, you won't be helping Metro achieve its goal of only subsidizing 75 percent of the system's operating costs.
Paying in advance is easy and cheap -- especially compared to the DUI you might avoid. Click here for details.
