After receiving overwhelming pushback from the public, LA Metro has removed controversial sections of its new fare proposal, opting not to increase base fares and continue free transfers, according to a staff report released on Wednesday, Nov. 23.
A new staff-produced fare structure will keep the base fare for a ride on a LA Metro bus or train at $1.75, instead of upping it to $2 as proposed.
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Also, the adjusted proposal keeps free, one-way, two-hour transfers between Metro light-rail, subways, bus rapid transit lines and buses. The previous plan released in October called for eliminating the transfers and was the most cited objection to the fare restructuring plan at a virtual public hearing held on Nov. 14.
Almost 100% of those who commented at the hearing were against the proposal. Many said the base fare hike and eliminating the transfers would cost the occasional rider a lot more and would be particularly burdensome during the current time of high inflation.
“They’ve reversed course in a positive way and we should recognize that,” said Oscar Zarate, director of building equity and transit for Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE) on Wednesday, Nov. 23. But Zarate said he’s still reviewing some of the details of the modified proposal.
Many groups that represent low-income riders who pay by cash said this would hurt a large segment of the transit-riding population in the county because the discounts would not be awarded to cash users.
“We took that feedback seriously and have made significant changes to the fare proposal,” said Metro in a statement released Wednesday afternoon.
Other changes being proposed include:
Fare-capping as a major part of the modified fare proposal. This would eliminate the need for passengers to buy daily, weekly of 30-day Metro passes in advance. The pay-as-you-go, fare-capping system is calculated every time a rider touches their TAP card to a reader next to a turnstile or on board a bus adjacent to the driver.
Capping fares, meaning each passenger would ride free after reaching the cap of $5 a day and $18 a week. Before, the plan capped fares at $6 a day and $20 a week, so the latest version lowers the cap.
Senior and disabled riders won’t see their fares go up to $1.00 as originally proposed. Instead, the fare will be $0.75 no matter the time of day, with a daily cap at $2.50 and a weekly cap at $6.00. The daily cap has been lowered, while the weekly cap rose by $1.00. The off-peak fare of $0.35 is eliminated.
Lowering the base fare for student and college riders.
Discounts for 7-day and 30-day passes will continue. The half-price reduction was scheduled to go away next month. Under the adjusted fare plan, discount passes will remain in place until sometime next summer.
Removing the upcharge for Silver Line and Express Bus service.
The LA Metro Board of Directors is scheduled to take up fare restructuring at its meeting on Thursday, Dec. 1, beginning at 10 a.m. To watch the meeting virtually, go to boardagendas.metro.net.
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