When is a fare fair?
Bus Riders Union complains about pending MTA fare hikes
By Carl Kozlowski 05/06/2010
Facing a $204 million hole in its annual budget, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority is gearing up a slate of fare increases that are set to go into effect July 1.
As a result, the Bus Riders Union activist group is urging transit riders to wage complaints at this Saturday’s public hearing on the hikes. However, a BRU spokeswoman is calling the meeting “a farce.”
“There is no real hearing,” said organization spokeswoman Esperanza Martinez. “Its board will meet and inform the public that fares will increase. People will be allowed to speak, but none of their comments will be considered or affect the outcome. We believe that’s inherently undemocratic. We believe the MTA has billions of dollars from Measure R and the average rider is going broke in this economy. We believe there should be a public hearing and a vote on proposed set of increases.”
The rate hikes in question would raise $24 million and range from 18 to 21 percent across the board from cash fares to monthly passes. For instance, standard fares would increase from $1.25 to $1.50 per ride. Day passes would go up from $5 to $6, weekly passes from $17 to $20, monthly from $62 to $75 and EZ passes from $70 to $84 per month.
The price hikes come on the heels of upcoming June 27 fare increases from the Foothill Transit Authority, which faces a $12.5 million deficit and is raising its basic fares for adults and student single rides from $1 to $1.25, and from 50 cents to 55 cents for seniors, Medicare recipients and the disabled users, and from $66 to $70 for adult monthly passes, $30 to $33 for student monthly passes and $21 to $22 for senior/disabled/Medicare passes.
Martinez’s stern message was met with indignation by MTA spokesman Marc Littman, who derided many of the BRU’s claims as “BS.” Littman noted that Measure R provided funds for construction projects, and that it cannot be reapportioned to solve operating deficits.
“Our customers only pay 26 percent of what it costs to operate buses and trains, and the rest is subsidized. Most cities get 40 percent of costs from riders. So if you’re only getting 26 percent, in a downturn, the deficit goes up,” said Littman. “With this increase, people will be paying only 28 percent of their cost. We don’t’ take monies from operations and put into construction, or vice versa. The BRU says revenue’s up because of Measure R. That’s true, but for a very specific dozen transit and highway projects.”
Breaking down the Measure R funds further, Littman noted that “a lot” is going to the bus side to keep seniors and students and other fares the same for the next five years and to finance an Orange Line bus route extension into Chatsworth. More than 40 percent is being used for bus purchases, busways and bus operating expenses.
On the other hand, MTA is planning to cut 20 percent of its non-contract staff — a total of 260 jobs — by the end of spring to help pare down the deficit.
“These aren’t bus operators or mechanics but people like me in communications and finance, people who support the guys in the field,” said Littman. “I’m a department head and I can tell you my department budget has been cut in half. We’ve got a real serious situation here.”
Martinez, in turn, was skeptical of Littman’s budgetary breakdowns, alleging the MTA has much greater flexibility in the use of its funds than Littman claims. The battle seems so heated that the BRU is contemplating legal action against the MTA.
“The MTA has a long history of playing a shell game where they have been able to move funds around,” said Martinez. “It’s very suspect that the MTA is accelerating 13 transit projects and one highway project that will require funds to operate. If they say they can’t even maintain the status quo, where do they expect to get the money to finish these projects in the next decade?
The public hearing on MTA’s fare increases will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Metro Headquarters Board Room on the third floor of One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles. For more information, visit mta.net.
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Comments
The BRU is not a real riders organization - its mission is to preserve bus drivers jobs. They protest against rail lines because their higher capacity results in fewer drivers.
It is not Metro's job to provide free transit, and it is not my job to fully subsidize transit for the poor with my taxes. Costs increase, it's called inflation, and it's a fact of life. Deal with it.
Should I go on hunger strike next time I get a bill in the mail that I don't want to pay? Or next time the grocery store increases the price of milk by 25 cents? Puh-leeze.
The Metro Board is dealing with budget shortfalls as well as cost increases (including increased labor costs). These people have to make tough compromises. So if fares remain frozen (as they have for the past decade), where is the money for transit service supposed to come from? Does the BRU think that money just grows on trees?
posted by jcovarru on 5/27/10 @ 11:30 p.m.
The hearing and vote was held 3 years ago. All the BRU is upset about is losing an opportunity to grandstand and get attention (which translates into a cushy salary and lifestyle for shadow master Eric Mann). They have long since ceased having any other purpose. Truly sad.
http://transit-insider.org/bru/index.htm...
Dana Gabbard
Executive Secrtetary
Southern California Transit Advocatws