9 MTA Members Who Voted to Raise Fares.pdf

These MTA Board of Directors Voted to Raise Fares and Cut Bus Service

On Thursday, May 24, 2007, 1,500 angry bus riders took time off from work to attend the MTA Public Hearing to demand fares not be increased but decreased, Despite this, 9 out of the 13 MTA Board members voted for a major increase in bus fares, led by Board members Gloria Molina and Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, and given critical support by Zev Yaroslavsky, Pam O’Connor, and John Fasana.

Over the past four months, the Bus Riders Union worked non-stop, day and night, to fight MTA’s planned fare increase. As a result of our work, we won four “NO” votes from Mayor Villaraigosa and his three appointees, Councilmember Bernard Parks, Directors Richard Katz and Lee Alpert. While the Mayor did not support our proposal to reduce fares, he did introduce a motion for a 5% annual fare increase, arguing that some fare increase was required. The Mayor and his appointees led a strong fight against the other board members’ proposal for major fare increases. Only five votes were needed to defeat the fare increase -- but the MTA Board majority was adamant about imposing a punitive fare hike.

MTA Approved Fare Increase:

7/2007     7/2009:

Base Fare            $1.25     $1.50
Day Pass             $5.00     $6.00
Monthly Pass        $62.00   $75.00
Bi-Weekly Pass    E L I M I N A T E D
Weekly Pass       $17.00     $20.00
Ez-Pass              $70.00     $84.00

The Bus Riders Union is pursuing every civil and environmental response, including legal challenges, as we speak.

So, the struggle is far from over! We have an important struggle at the MTA Board and on the buses and streets of Los Angeles. There is strong indication that the Mayor and his appointees will keep their commitment to reverse the approved fare increase through promised funding from State legislators. However, several MTA Directors have indicated that they will not support any reversal and worse, they will try to direct these funds to their pet rail projects. We appreciate the Mayor’s effort and are willing to work with him, but the reversal of this racist fare increase is up to our ability to grow our movement and continue to build a powerful force on the ground that continues to pressure the entire MTA Board. What are you waiting for?

Are you ready to say “I Won’t Pay for Racism, MTA Repeal the Fare Hike!” Call the Bus Riders Union at 213.387.2800.