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The real story is being dismissed by the local media--MTA’s overall ridership is down, even with gas prices at over $4.50 a gallon. While some folks are leaving their cars at home and riding MTA buses and trains to get some relief from the high gas prices, compared to last year there are over 30,000 fewer boardings systemwide! The real victims have been bus riders--thousands of low-income bus riders were priced out of public transit by MTA’s July 2007 fare increase.

MTA is Comparing Prime Grade Apples (Buses) to Sour Grapes (Rail). While MTA is hyping rail ridership increase, what’s not being said is that small increases on MTA toy trains do not match the significant loss of ridership on buses, which make up over 80% of MTA’s ridership. In other words, the approximately 21% increase on the Pasadena Gold Line with only 19,000 daily boardings is peanuts compared to a 5% drop of 1.3 million daily bus boarding.

We want to restrict auto use in the region and get people out of their cars, while MTA’s plan is to raise rail ridership by praying for higher gas prices and raising transit fares. This will only lead to two outcomes - 1) low-income, mainly Latino and Black bus riders are priced out of using public transit leaving only the more middle income and discretionary riders able to afford it, or 2) the benefits of riding public transportation because it offers lower travel costs will be lost by MTA’s drive to increase revenues out of fares to pay for more toy trains, forcing even these new riders to leave public transit.

Bus Riders Union Wants:

50-Cent Fares, $20 Bus Passes, 1,000 More Buses and a Moratorium on Rail and Highway! So, what do you want? Hard facts or feel good spins on bad transit policies? Join us on the Freedom Bus for Civil Rights and Environmental Justice!

The real story is being dismissed by the local media--MTA’s overall
ridership is down, even with gas prices at over $4.50 a gallon. While
some folks are leaving their cars at home and riding MTA buses and
trains to get some relief from the high gas prices, compared to last
year there are over 30,000 fewer boardings systemwide! The real victims
have been bus riders--thousands of low-income bus riders were priced
out of public transit by MTA’s July 2007 fare increase.

MTA is Comparing Prime Grade Apples (Buses) to Sour Grapes (Rail).

While MTA is hyping rail ridership increase, what’s not being said is
that small increases on MTA toy trains do not match the significant
loss of ridership on buses, which make up over 80% of MTA’s ridership.
In other words, the approximately 21% increase on the Pasadena Gold
Line with only 19,000 daily boardings is peanuts compared to a 5% drop
of 1.3 million daily bus boarding.

We Want to Restrict Auto Use

in the region and get people out of their cars, while MTA’s plan is to raise rail ridership by praying for higher gas prices and raising transit fares. This will only lead to two outcomes - 1) low-income, mainly Latino and Black bus riders are priced out of using public transit leaving only the more middle income and discretionary riders able to afford it, or 2) the benefits of riding public transportation because it offers lower travel costs will be lost by MTA’s drive to increase revenues out of fares to pay for more toy trains, forcing even these new riders to leave public transit.

Bus Riders Union Wants 50-Cent Fares, $20 Bus Passes, 1,000 More Buses and a Moratorium on Rail and Highway! So, what do you want? Hard facts or feel good spins on bad transit policies? Join us on the Freedom Bus for Civil Rights and Environmental Justice!