MTA eliminates nine bus lines, reduces service on nine others

By WIRE SERVICES

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Strapped for cash, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board voted Thursday to eliminate nine bus lines and reduce service on nine others starting in December to save $30 million a year.

"This is all being done due to a $250 million operating deficit that we entered into in fiscal year (2010)-2011,'' Metro spokesman Rick Jager said.

The move comes several months after the agency raised both its bus and rail fares in a bid to reduce the budget shortfall by another $24 million.

Eric Romann, with the Bus Riders Union, denounced the service eliminations and reductions.

"We're very disappointed and frustrated that the board would make the decision to basically attempt to solve their financial problems on the backs of low-income bus riders of color, through cutting almost 400,000 hours of bus service just three months after having actually raised the fares,'' he said.

"They're asking bus riders who are very poor and overwhelmingly black and Latino to pay more for less,'' he said.

Jager said the four Metro Local lines and five Metro Rapid lines that are slated for elimination on Dec. 12 have very low ridership.

"Staff looked at the lines that were under-performing and before recommending that they either be re-routed or scaled back or canceled, [they made sure] that at least there would be some type of a duplicate service operating nearby within a quarter of a mile walking distance,'' he said.

The agency currently has 191 bus lines - 25 of which are Metro Rapid bus lines. Jager said more than 1 million passengers board its buses every workday. He could not say what percentage of riders will be affected by the cuts.

Metro is slated to conduct another review of its bus lines in June. When asked if another reduction in services could be ordered then, Jager replied: "Probably, but we don't know as of yet how extensive those will be.''

Metro officials have blamed the agency's $250 operating deficit on decreased ridership, the loss of state funds and declines in revenue from two of the county's three transportation sales taxes - all factors driven by the economic recession.

Jager said the shortfall prompted Metro to hand out pink slips to 240 employees, and eliminate another 260 positions through attrition and retirement this fiscal year.

Metro also raised fares on July 1 - the first such hike in 15 years - to try to boost its revenue by $24 million.

The fare for one-way rides rose by 25 cents to $1.50, while monthly passes went up by $13 to $75. Meanwhile, daily passes went from $5 to $6, and the EZ transit pass from $70 to $84.

Marc Littman, another Metro spokesman, said even with the increase, fares make up just 28 percent of what it costs to operate the bus and rail services.