New L.A. Fare Increases

[WhoozOn1st]

MTA plans fare hikes

"'People struggle every day, scraping together their change, just to buy a daily pass,' said Esperanza Martinez, an organizer for the Bus Riders Union. 'MTA has the money. It is all about choices.'

"MTA officials say, however, that they cannot transfer funds to the operations budget that are earmarked for construction projects. Though it appears that the agency is flush with cash, they say, there are restrictions on how the MTA can use the revenue from county transportation sales taxes."

 

[WhoozOn1st]

L.A. Times consumer columnist David Lazarus discusses L.A. Metro's impending fare increases. The primary focus here is buses, but the issues are equally applicable to rail elements of the system.

Fare increase won't fix public transit

"[T]he problem isn't that the MTA plans to charge unreasonable rates. Pound for pound, SoCal's largest public-transit system is still cheaper than many comparable systems nationwide.

"The same goes for other local transit systems that also have fare hikes in the works, including Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus, West Covina-based Foothill Transit, Metrolink, and the L.A. Commuter Express and Dash lines. [My local bus outfit, Gold Coast Transit, is raising fares for the second time in a year starting in July; was $1.25, now $1.35, will be $1.50. Additionally, deep service cuts - to an already-skeletal system - took effect 4-18-10.]

"The problem is that most of these systems are focusing solely on short-term financial gain and all but ignoring long-term promotion of public transportation as a practical alternative to traveling by car.

"As a result, their money troubles will almost certainly keep growing, our roads and freeways will become even more clogged, and L.A.'s pitiful status as the nation's smoggiest city won't change."

 

[Trogdor]

The problem is that most of these systems are focusing solely on short-term financial gain and all but ignoring long-term promotion of public transportation as a practical alternative to traveling by car.

That is probably the single biggest problem with our transportation "policy" (or lack thereof) in this country. The local transit agencies (and Amtrak, on a national level) are not in a position to promote themselves, because most of them cannot set their own tax rates to fund the necessary service levels. It's pretty much a given that the systems are going to run an operating deficit, and that deficit has to be made up somehow. That "somehow" is some sort of government subsidy, whether it is a dedicated source of funding (still subject to the conditions of the economy impacting that source), or if they have to get in line and beg for money along with the parks, schools, hospitals, police & fire, etc.

To respond to the writer of this article, the problem is that if the systems don't focus on their short-term finances (and characterizing it as a financial "gain" is as big a mischaracterization as there can be regarding transit finances), then there will be no long-term system to promote because they will run out of money and shut down.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Wow, an increase from $1.35 to $1.50. How about an increase of $20 to $29.50? That's the one I'm still trying to get my head around.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

In this follow-up to the piece posted above, L.A. Times columnist David Lazarus recounts his brief transit chat with L.A.'s mayor, goes on to make some suggestions for improvements, and promises to expand on the big picture next week.

L.A.'s public transit system needs these fixes -- and more

"The problem, of course, is that the region's public transit network is pathetically inconvenient, especially for those who might have more than one stop to make during the day or who have to get somewhere in a relatively timely fashion.

"For this reason, three-quarters of local residents drive alone in their cars to get around town, according to the Southern California Assn. of Governments. Thirteen percent carpool or drive with others, and a meager 12% use public transit.

"Compare that with New York, where a majority of workers (55%) use public transit every day, according to census figures. That percentage is 37% in Washington, D.C., 31% in San Francisco and Boston, and 27% in Chicago and Philadelphia."

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Part 3 of columnist David Lazarus' L.A. Times transit trilogy:

Fix public transit by tempting and forcing people out of cars

"Longer term, although I believe subways are best for metropolitan areas, L.A. would probably be best served by an elevated rail system — maybe a monorail, maybe something else. Elevated lines and stations are significantly cheaper to build than subways, and it would be relatively easy to begin with existing freeway routes."

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Los Angeles Times columnist David Lazarus has provided an update on the pieces posted above. At Lazarus' suggestion, hundreds of readers e-mailed L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who responded positively. The update is tacked onto a column on a different subject. I thought of doing a copy/paste job, but the update is lengthy enough to risk running afoul of the quote rules here. The main column, however, is about something that I suppose could happen to anybody: Some poor guy cashed a postal money order - at a post office - and received 8 counterfeit $100 bills; apparently he's outta luck.

Customer stuck with counterfeit money from the post office

On-topic:

"I asked readers to contact Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa with their thoughts on my recent columns on public transportation. He received hundreds of e-mails expressing frustration with our current transit system and commuters' hopes for improvement.

"And he wasted no time in responding.

"Villaraigosa submitted a motion to the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority last week calling for steps to create daily and weekly EZ Passes good for all transit systems in the county, as well as a better sales network so that commuters can readily find the passes if they want them."

...and more.

_____________________

Off-topic:

"'Unfortunately, counterfeit money is like a hot potato,' said Wayne Williams, deputy special agent in charge of the Secret Service's L.A. office. 'Whoever ends up with it last is the victim.'

"Well, yes, but [L.A. resident David] Lipin got his bogus cash from the U.S. Postal Service, redeeming a Postal Service money order. Shouldn't Uncle Sam bear some responsibility?

"'Not really,' Williams replied. 'The post office operates as a business. It takes in money from customers. Postal workers don't really have special equipment or training to spot counterfeit bills. Unless they're in on it, this isn't their responsibility.'

"So Lipin is hosed?

"'He's hosed.'"

 

[the_traveler]

My local bus outfit, Gold Coast Transit, is raising fares for the second time in a year starting in July; was $1.25, now $1.35, will be $1.50.

I don't know how extensive your system is, but when I was working in Providence in 2002, I believe that RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transit Authority) had a fare of $1.25. I lived about 45 miles from work in Providence! I would gladly pay $2.50 (round trip) and be on the bus for about 1 hour, than fight rush hour traffic, pay for gas and then pay for parking!

Heck, I'd even pay the $1.50 with no problem!

 

[WhoozOn1st]

L.A. Times columnist David Lazarus followed up on his recent pieces about SoCal transit - posted above - by attending a meeting of the "Metro Blue Ribbon Committee," and reports back that inertia prevails.

Transit panel is stuck in neutral

"At the meeting, an MTA staffer asked during a break if any members of the Metro Blue Ribbon Committee needed their parking tickets validated. Only two or three of the 17 members, I learned, actually ride buses and subways with any frequency.

"That's all you need to know about the current state of public transit in the Southland."

 

[Trogdor]

L.A. Times columnist David Lazarus followed up on his recent pieces about SoCal transit - posted above - by attending a meeting of the "Metro Blue Ribbon Committee," and reports back that inertia prevails.
Transit panel is stuck in neutral

"At the meeting, an MTA staffer asked during a break if any members of the Metro Blue Ribbon Committee needed their parking tickets validated. Only two or three of the 17 members, I learned, actually ride buses and subways with any frequency.

"That's all you need to know about the current state of public transit in the Southland."

Actually, a better phrasing of the last quote would be, "that's all you need to know about the current state of public transit in the United States."

Outside of (possibly) New York, are there any transit boards/upper management where their members actually use the system they are supposed to oversee/run?